Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Page 42 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW June 3. 1939 IN TfiE United Arf-ists At the moment, a film unit is making a 20,000 mile motor tour across India to photograph material for another of the "World Window" subjects. The expedition is led by Count and Countess Keller, who have with them Hans Nieter as director; John Hanau, production chief; Jack Cardif?, the Technicolor cameraman, and crew of other technicians. and 52, will be the subject of a new CareyWilson miniature soon to go into production. Based on little known incidents in the life of Lincoln, the short subject will lead the field of Lincoln material scheduled to emanate from Hollywood during the next few months. The series of misfortunes that branded the Civil War President an utter failure until he was past 50, were compiled by Arno Reincke and were published in The Readers' Digest. Jack Chertok will produce. Alaska will be the subject of James A. FitzPatrick's latest Traveltalk. The onereeler, to be filmed in Technicolor, will be made in keeping with FitzPatrick's new Americanization series of travel films and will be released in next season's output. The noted commentator leaves this week for Alaska, accompanied by his crew. Vitaphone "Monroe Doctrine," historical featuret, has been scheduled to begin shooting on June 15. Crane Wilbur will probably direct under the supervision of Gordon Hollingshead. The successful treatment of previous shorts depicting dramatic episodes in medical history won for Fred Zinneman the directorial task of the latest in John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series, "One Against the World." Among his one-reelers are "That Mothers Might Live," the story of Dr. Ignacz Semmelweis' discovery that childbed fever was an infection and "We Live Again," the story of the discovery of insulin as an aid to diabetics. RKO Camera work has been completed on Pathe's Reelism featuring the Arthur Murray dancers, which has been tentatively titled "Swinguet." It will be released to theatres early in June. MCM Robert Benchley has a new director, Basil Wrangell, selected to succeed Roy Rowland, director of Benchley's last fourteen one-reelers, the most recent of which was "How To Eat." Jack Chertok, producer of shorts, has rewarded Rowland with his first two-reeler, the next Crime Does Not Pay featurette. Wrangell has been supervising film editor of short subjects and director of John Nesbitt's Passing Parade one-reelers. His first short with Benchley, still untitled, will deal with the treatment of bee stings. Columbia Del Lord, veteran contract director of Columbia comedies, recently returned from a six weeks' cruise to Tahiti and immediate\y began preparations for his next assignment, a Three Stooges comedy. The Stooges — Howard, Fine and Howard — are now in the British Isles, fulfilling six weeks of personal appearances. Upon the completion of the engagement in Dublin, the trio will sail for New York and return direct to Hollvwood. "He Could Take It," digest of the life of Abraham Lincoln between the ages of 20 Glendale or Inglewood, both close to Hollywood, will be the scene of the preview of Buster Keaton's latest Columbia short comedy, recently completed. As yet untitled, the film has a Civil War background and was produced and directed by Jules White. Jill Martin is the frozen-faced comic's leading lady and Monte Collins, Bud Jamison, Ned Glass and Lynton Brent head the supporting cast. . . NEWSREEL SYNOPSES . . (Released Saturday, June 3) PARAMOUNT (No. 87)— U. S. Czechs open "orphan" exhibit; Annapolis midshipmen on parade; Paderewski sails for Europe; Panda performs in London; Big cities suffer heat wave; British Royalty visit Calgary and Banff; Fatal crash mars 500-mile race. MOVIETONE (Vol. 21, No. 76)— Annapolis midshipmen on parade; Flyer vanishes on Atlantic hop; British Royalty visit Calgary and Banff ; Little Princesses stay home with Queen Mary; Pope Pius takes possession of Basilica of St. John Lateran; Memorial Day parade in New York; Dog show at Madison, N. J.; King Leopold welcomes Queen Wilhelmina of Holland; Fashions in hats; Metropolitan open golf; Crash mars 500-mile race. PATHE (Vol. 10, No. 91) — British Royalty visit Banff ; New modern office building of Johnston Wax Co.; Honor prison farm in Calif.; Opening of Liege Exposition in Belgium ; Gravity power machine model demonstrated in Florida; Crash mars 500-mile race. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 11, No. 776)— Memorial Day parade in New York; Flyer lost on Atlantic hop; British Royalty in Calgary; Snite, Jr., arrives at Le Havre, France; New robot life-saving device; Woman traffic cops in Sacramento; Society of Magicians meet in New York; Annapolis midshipmen on parade; Movie stars set race at Inglewood, Calif.; Fatal crash mars 500-mile auto race. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 10, No. 276)— Flyer vanishes on Atlantic hop; Annapolis midshipmen on parade; Snite, Jr., arrives at Le Havre, France; Flexible gate for drivers tested at Milwaukee; Memorial Day parade in New York; Axis becomes war alliance; Queen Mary trains Princesses; British Royalty in Calgary; Fatal crash mars 500-mile auto race; Hollywood Turf Club premiere. (Released Wednesday, May 31) MOVIETONE (Vol. 21, No. 75)— Navy divers seek entombed men in Squalus disaster; Franco reviews mammoth victory parade; Stalin watches gigantic military and civilian parade; British warship host to U. S. Rear Admiral Woodward; Indian Maharajah is installed; Joan of Arc honored in Paris; "Flame of Friendship" given to Tokyo miss for N. Y. World's Fair; Royal Air Force in warm-up drill; Hand crocheted styles; Lew Lehr and fence-painting contest; Girls angle for trout in Washington; Ken Wilhelm shows skill with bow and arrow. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 15, No. 275)— Submarine heroes recover as navy seeks to raise Squalus; British Royalty on Canadian tour; Pope Pius takes possession of Basilica of St. John Lateran; Draftdodger Bergdoll gives up; Fritz Kuhn booked on charges of grand larceny; Intercollegiate 4-A track meet; Dog show at Madison, N. J. (except Los Angeles and San Francisco) ; Ken Wilhelm shows skill with bow and arrow (Los Angeles and San Francisco only) ; British Monarchs view races at Toronto. PATHE (Vol. 10, No. 90) — Submarine heroes recover as navy seeks to raise Squalus; British royalty on Canadian tour; Jack Dempsey testifies before Senate Committee on inter-state transportation of fight films; Draft-dodger Bergdoll gives up; Fritz Kuhn booked on charges of grand larceny; Japanese Friendship Day at World's Fair; Stalin watches gigantic military and civilian parade. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 11, No. 775)— Pope Pius takes possession of Basilica of St. John Lateran; Submarine heroes recover as navy seeks to raise Squalus; Dempsey testifies before Senate Committee; Draft-dodger Bergdoll gives up; Air ministry inspection in France; Lord Halifax gives views on triple entente; Ken Wilhelm shows skill with bow and arrow; Dog show at Madison, N. J.; Intercollegiate 4-A track meet; British Monarchs view King's Plate classic at Toronto. PARAMOUNT (No. 85)— British Royalty on Canadian tour; Draft-dodger Bergdoll gives up; AeroHotel flies record load; Catching fish with goggles; Franco reviews mammoth victory parade; Pope Pius takes possession of Basilica of St. John Lateran; Dog show at Madison, N. J. FIRST RUN SHORT PRODUCT BROADWAY, NEW YORK (Week Beginning June 3) ASTOR— Profit Without Honor (MGM). CAPITOL — Java Journeys (MGM) ; Jockeys Up (Col.) ; Hollywood Hobbies (MGM) ; Help Wanted (MGM). CRITERION— Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (Para.) rev. 4-29-39; Moving Vanities (RKO) rev. 5-6-39. GLOBE — Seeing Sports (Vita.) : Mechanix Illustrated No. 4 (Vita.) rev. this issue. RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL— Dixie— U. S. A. (M. of T., RKO) rev 5-13-39. RIVOLI— The Practical Pig (RKO) rev. 10-22-38; Television (RKO) rev. 5-6-39. ROXY— The Prize Guest (20th-Fox) ; Good Neighbors (20thFox). STRAND — For Your Convenience (Vita.) ; Hobo Gadget Band (Vita.) CHICAGO LOOP (Week Ending June 3) APOLLO— Chump Takes a Bump (Col.) ; Dean of the Pasteboards (Vita.) rev. 5-20-39; Art Gallery (MGM) rev. 5-27-39. ROOSEVELT— Popular Science No. 5 (Para.) rev. this issue; Naughty But Mice (Vita.). UNITED ARTISTS— Hollvwood Hobbies (MGM): Sons of Liberty (Vita.) rev. 3-25 39: Mickev's Parrott (RKO) rev. 9-3-38. There's Nothing Hammy About Sales Angles on "Radio Hams" The thousands of radio hams in this country will soon see ihemselves in the movies via a Pete Smith short which MGAI will release. "Radio Hams" is the title, and it is a subject you can easih' sell. There are a great many people who have not seen a short wave station operate. As a lobby stunt, and to get attention from the newspaper, get a radio ham holding an amateur license to rig up his outfit in your theatre lobby. Although it may be difficult for him to operate his sending transmitter in some locations, he will, in all cases, be able to receive the conversations of short wave amateurs for miles around for the benefit of lobby listeners. You might be able to get a local store handling amateur broadcasting equipment to install the apparatus in your lobby in exchange for a stipulated am.ount of newspaper advertising space which they would use to exhibit your showing of "Radio Hams." Bookstores and libraries with books on amateur broadcasting should be willing to tie up with you. Window displays could be promoted from stores selling this equipment. The parts they played in various emergencies might be related by radio hams over your local radio station. Their experiences might also be used as feature stories in the newspaper. Nationwide Promotion Effected On Golf Short, "Smooth Approach" RKO-Pathe is backing its Sportscope, "Smooth Approach" with some excellent nationwide promotion. Through tieups with Spalding and with the Crawford, MacGregor, Canby Co., about 20,000 folders, describing and illustrating the principles of good golfing as shown in the subject, have been mailed to pros in golf clubs throughout the country, for display on their bulletin boards, as well as to exhibitors and branch managers. These folders can be placed in the windows of sporting goods stores, and on the counters of department stores. Spalding has mailed about 5,000 of the folders, with an accompanying letter, to as many pros, while Crawford, MacGregor, Canby have mailed an equal number. The remaining 10,000, together with an explanatory letter, have been forwarded by RKO-Pathe to exhibitors and branch managers. Golfers will be out doing their stuff now. This is certainly a swell chance for you to win goodwill by offering a Loving Cup as a prize for the winner in a tournament sponsored by your theatre, and to get a large amount of free publicity for your engagement of "Smooth Approach."