Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, January 9, 1934 "Hollywood Babies?' (Columbia) A "Scrappy" cartoon, with Scrappy as a cameraman and director. Cartoons of most of the prominent Hollywood stars are shown, all cavorting to music. Could be better. Running time, 7 mins. "Dance of the Hours" (Audio Prod) A musical treat in which Ponchielli's familiar strains get visual accompaniment in a dance, in silhouette, arranged by Malvina Hoffman. Well-done and high-class. Running time, 9 mins. "Heart of Paris'' (Vitaphone) An E. M. Newman "Musical World Journey" one-reeler, showing views of Paris, with off-screen dialogue and songs, in both French and English. Scenes of Paris and Versailles by night, and the views of Montmarte are impressive. Running time, 9 mins. "Screen Souvenirs" (Paramount 3-6) Another of the "Screen Souvenirs" series, with views of Champ Clark, Uncle Joe Cannon, Chauncey Depew, the 1906 Centennial of Wilkes-Barre, Texas Guinan in an old "western" and the usual old time "meller." Interesting. Running time, 8 mins. "In Giantland" (United Artists) Here Walt Disney makes Jack and the Beanstalk live again in the person of his versatile Mickey Mouse. Picture opens wfth Mickey telling a bedtime story to his innumerable nephews, and switches to the tale it Looking Over Shorts self, with Mickey as Jack. His adventures with the giant he meets, particularly when he hides in the Behemoth's mouth are equal to anything that Disney has previously done. Mickey finally escapes by sliding down the stalk, and kills the giant by setting fire to the base after he has escaped. Running time, 8 mins. "The Sunny South" (Educational) One of the Terry-Toon series with Simon Legree as the dog catcher who chases pups aided by a flock of bloodhounds, but isn't able to catch up with a big black mammy bent on rescuing her poodle. The ice scene from "Unck Tom's Cabin" is burlesqued. Good incidental music and an interesting kid number. Running time, 6 mins. "Fine Feathers" (M-G-M) Bird plumage from all over the globe, photographed in a riot of Technicolor. Pete Smith supplies the running patter of dialogue, not all of it funny. The subject is interesting, due almost entirely to the effectiveness and the excellence of the color photography. Running time, 9 mini. "Pie JoTTwo" (Universal) Featuring James Gleason and Eddie Nugent, this one ought to please all audiences. Gleason and Nugent, knights of the road, wander into a ... I think "Roman Scandals" is going to be one of the best box-office pictures of the year, and that is a treat to all exhibitors. Leon Rosenblatt, Prudential & Playhouse Operating Co., N. Y. C, small town and find Mabel Marden in difficulties. They are first attracted to her by her pies, and remain as boarders when they discover that she is broke, and has two small children to support. Gleason is good in a comedy role, with Nugent and Miss Marden supplying the romance. Running time, 2034 mins. "Mountain Music" (Universal) Starring Louise Fazenda, this short is full of laughs. Miss Fazenda inherits a general store in the Kentucky mountains, and with the store she gets the feud between the Matfields and Malloys. Both clans try to marry Miss Fazenda to one of their members so as to get control of the store, but neither is successful. Milton Wallace is an able foil for some of Miss Fazenda's gags, and supplies a few of his own. Mountain music and square dances are also in this one. Running time, 18 mins. "Hollywood on Parade" (Paramount) This is BS of the series of intimate glimpses into the activities of screen personalities when not at work. Max Baer, Walter Huston, Polly Moran, Gloria Swanson, Bruce Cabot, George Raft, Mae West, and others are shown. For comedy effect, there is Lloyd Hamilton, who gets a number of laughs in his efforts to photograph some of the stars. Running time, 11 mins. "Melody Tom" (Master Art) An intriguing musical short, uniquely done and of high entertainment quality. Sylvia Froos, of radio renown; Dick Liebert, theatre and radio organist ; and John S. Young, the air announcer, contribute ace work. Songs which have been written about Chicago, New Orleans, San Franciso, New York, et al, are sung and played by Miss Froos and Liebert respectively, while Young handles the explanatory task. Running time, 7 mins. "A Trifle Backwards" (Universal) With Vince Barnett, Robert Graves, Miami Campbell and Gertrude Short, this short feature provides many laughs. Barnett is struck by Miss Campbell's car, and is brought to her home instead of to a hospital. To cover up the accident, she tells Graves, her husband, that Barrett is the groom of Miss Short. The ensuing situations are obvious and comical, but everything is finally straightened out. Running time, I9y2 mins. "Waters of Minnetonka" (Audio Prod.) A few seconds shy of six minutes, this is an interesting and well-done short designed to emphasize musical content but is beautiful in photographic quality as well. Contrary to the previous custom where sound augmented the camera, this time Robert C. Bruce's Technicolor camera enhances the sound. The combination is effective. "Manhattan Clock-Tale" ( Vitaphone) A pleasing short featuring Norma Terris and Lynn Overman, with an amusing plot built around what is sup ' posed to be a normal day in the life of a Broadway star. Miss Terris sings several numbers, both in English and in foreign tongues. Well staged dances by the Vitaphone chorus are interposed throughout the picture to help the continuity. Running time, 29 mins. "Day in Tokyo" (Pox) Another of the Fox Magic Carpet series showing interesting views of the modern development of Tokyo. There is a decided contrast running through the picture between the ancient dress still worn by many of the natives, modern buildings and means of transportation. Also interesting views of the Ginza, Tokyo's Broadway. Running time, 9 mins. "Kissing Time" ( Vitaphone ) A miniature musical comedy featuring Jane Frohman, radio star, and George Metaxa of the stage. Scene is South America, during a revolution. Both Miss Froman and Metaxa have good voices that record well, and their songs are well delivered. Choral numbers and dances are well done. The comedy relief by Philip Ryder is well handled. Running time, 22 mins. "Strange as It Seems" (No. 35) (Universal) Another of the interesting series showing strange sights and beings found all over the world. This one has views of hair-dressing in Japan, weird religious rites of India, a onearmed paper hanger, anti venom serum laboratories, the shrine of St. Roche in New Orleans, strange plants of Central America and a chinchilla farm. "Pathe Review" (Radio) Issue number two in series 2-45-02 with several interesting subjects. One deals with the theory of the creation of the earth and other planets and another has Robert Wildhack giving a treatise on Sneeze-ology. An intimate study of a rabbit which makes friends with other animals is unusually entertaining. Sailor girls on a I yachting trip round out the issue. Dull in spots and entertaining in others. Running time, 10 mins. "Gem of the Sea" (Fox) Views of Ireland taken by Fox Magic Carpet. The shots of the lake country, and of the natives during play are particularly impressive. Those taken of the famous cathedral of Mt. Mellary, its carillon, and the monks during a religious service are striking. Running time, 9 mins. "Death Drums of New Guinea" (Majestic) A 30-minute travelogue filmed by the Commander F. Strange Kolle and M. P. Greenwood Adams' expedition in the New Guinea Islands. While most of the subject deals with the usual tribal doings, which have ap {Continued on page 15)