Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1936)

70 MOTION PICTURE HERALD November 14, 1936 Old Film and New To be Contrasted In Zukor Jubilee Warner Brothers Take to the Air To Merchandise Their uCold Diggers" A covey of Busby Berkeley beauties are being sent into the air by Warners on a nationwide tour, for the edification of city editors and the readers of their newspapers, but more particularly to attract attention to the box offices of theatres playing the next Warner musical, "The Gold Diggers of 1937." Beginning Saturday, from Hollywood, "the first tour of its kind," according to Warners, will take form in the nature of a flying troupe of principals and chorus girls who are to visit 26 cities in 29 days. In each city there will be staged, at the leading Warner "Sold Diggers" theatre account, a special performance to exploit the production. Aboard the American Airlines plane will be the principals, Jeanne Madden, Rosalind Marquis and Fred Lawrence, and 12 hand-picked Busby Berkeley chorus girls. Warner's home office press agents say they already have received numerous wires from governors, mayors and chambers of commerce evidencing "great interest in such a junket of beauty," to say nothing of "a few gentlemen who wired on a personal and freelance basis." The "Gold Diggers" will be given the keys to the 26 cities visited, at least, and one state has even promised an aerial escort of National Guard planes for the ship's entry into its capital. S. Charles Einfeld's home office and field exploiteers, of course, will see to it that the proper amount of press attention and headlines accrue along the route. To prove that "Hollywood is ever watchful for the newest idea to titillate the public interest," Warner's publicity announcement said, "The girls are now in training for the trip. They have to be rested and at the right weight when they fly through the air. If they gain weight they will have to skip it because the plane arrangements have set them down for certain weight. If they lose weight they will have to put in a couple more pounds of luggage" — -no easy task for any blonde beauty. Cities on the itinerary include (starting November 14th): Los Angeles, El Paso, Fort Worth, Dallas, Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Providence, New York, Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Denver, Salt Lake, San Francisco, returning to Los Angeles on December 12th. Dominion Sound Head Lloyd C. Pearson has been named general sales manager of Dominion Sound Equipments, Ltd., Montreal, to succeed B. C. Lewis, who was killed in an automobile accident several weeks ago. Mr. Pearson was formerly with the research and sales departments of Northern Electric Company. New Mississippi Theatre The Saenger Theatres Corporation will construct a new $250,000 theatre at Jackson, Miss., for lease by the KenningtonSaenger Theatres, Inc., operators of four additional Jackson houses. The Saenger interests are also planning the construction of a new house at Baton Rouge, La. Special programs in which old films will be contrasted with new are being planned for theatres throughout the country in celebration of Paramount's Silver Jubilee commemorating the anniversary of Adolph Zukor's entry into the industry. Prominent among the pictures used for this purpose will be "Queen Elizabeth," released in 1912. J. J. Unger and Milt Kusell, actively engaged in promotion of plans for the celebration, have returned to New York from an 11 -day tour of the country in which they visited Washington, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Chicago and Cleveland. After a visit to Boston Mr. Kusell was to start upon a three-week tour of the middle west. Harry L. Royster, special theatre representative in connection with the jubilee drive, has completed a fortnight's tour of key cities in the east and contemplates a month's coverage of the south and west. Mr. Kusell and Myke Lewis, district managers, have been named by Neil F. Agnew. in charge of sales, as captains of the east and west sales divisions of the drive. "Captain Kidds" Are Aim of Law — Patman "The recently enacted Robinson-Patman law is aimed at the 'Captain Kidds' in business who have been detouring the golden rule," Representative Wright Patman said this week in an address at the annual convention of the Central Supply Association in Chicago. He declared that act "makes effective the original intention of the Clayman Act, the prevention of direct or indirect price discrimination by the seller among his customers." But, in New Haven, former United States Attorney Felix H. Levy, speaking before the Manufacturers' Association of Connecticut, said the Robinson-Patman Act will impose no onerous restrictions on business. Ideal Studios Reopened To Make Negro Films The Ideal Sound Studios in North Bergen, N. J., have been reopened for production under direction of Oscar Micheaux, Negro author and producer. It is planned to make four pictures for distribution among theatres with Negro clientele. A company of 20 actors, including Oscar Folk, who played the role of the Angel Gabriel in "The Green Pastures," are now employed. Federation Dinner Scheduled The annual radio dinner of the radio, music, refrigeration and allied industries division of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York on November 22. Screen, radio and stage stars are expected to contribute their services.