Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

J line 17, ]0S9 SHOW M E N ' S R A IJ E R I'l V I E W Page 31 RURAL HUNGARY Prod. I\o. T-860 (Tech.) Good MGM Traveltalk No. 10 9 mins. Comment: The quaint habits and customs of the rural Hungarian residents are shown in this colorful traveltalk. How they play, the costumes they wear for Sunday worship, the daily labors in the field, the raising of horses pass in review. James Fitzpatrick's narrative helps vivify the various scenes. Exploitation: Steamship companies are advertising cruises, some of which may include Hungary. Visit your local travel agency and arrange tieups. A BULLY ROMANCE Prod. No. 9515 Just Filler 20th-Fox Terrytoon No. 25 7 mins. Comment: Gandy Goose tells his friend how he won a fair senorita's hand in Old Mexico by fighting the bull. Then the camera records his story as the animators have planned it, with Gandy getting the worst of it until he suddenly turns the tables and makes the bull look like a piker. The cartoon has a "Major Hoople" ending in that Gandy, on completing his story, disappears at the sight of a bull. It's a fair cartoon, something to take up that 7-minute slack in 3'our program. Paul Terry was the producer. Exploitation: Mention it in your ads and in your programs. COUSIN WILBUR Prod. l\o. C-939 Fairly Amusing MGM Our Gang No. 9 10 mins. Comment: Alfalfa's cousin Wilbur seeks to join the gang, and noting the scarcity of members, advises Alf and Spanky to make a benevolent society out of it and pay insurance to members. This the gang does, with two cents offered for one black eye, three cents for two shiners, etc. They prosper, until Toughy blacks all the members' eyes, thus causing a rush on the treasury. But little Wilbur, who isn't such a sissy after all, subdues Toughy and his henchman, and all is well again. An occasional funny spot makes this subject fairly amusing. George Sidney directed. Exploitation: Mention in your regular advertising media. SCREEN SNAPSHOTS NO. 10 Prod. /Vo. 9860 For Rahid Fans Col. Screen Snapshots 10 mins. Comment: Mrs. Basil Rathbone gives a charity party, and everybody in Hollywood with the exception of Mickey Mouse attends the affair. Over a hundred celebrities pass before the camera's lens as they enter the tent where the party is held. Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Rudy Vallee, Dolores Del Rio, Gary Grant, Phyllis Brooks, David O. Selznick, Irene Dunne, Robert Riskin, Joan Bennett, Jack Benny, Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr (listen to the sighs) are only a few of the Hollywood film folk who take part in the festivities. Your patrons will enjoy it, but rabid fans will eat it up because of the opportunity to see so many stars in offscreen moments. Exploitation: Because there is such an imposing list of celebrities, be sure to list their names on your lobby board and in your program. Mention the subject in your regular advertising media. If there are any fan clubs in your town, inform them of your showing. PROPHET WITHOUT HONOR Prod. ISo. M-H79 Excellent MAN-MADE ISLAND Prod. ISo. 9554 Interesting MGM Miniature No. 9 11 mins. Col. Columbia Tour No. 4 9% mins. Comment: Little known to most people is the important part played in navigation by Matthew Fontaine Maury who, while a young naval officer, was injured for life in an accident. This Miniature shows how, accidentally, he stumbled on weather observations of several years before that corresponded to the ones he had made. From these he made his own chart of the laws of navigation, and although his ideas were at first spurned, today they are used by the United States Navy. It is an excellent subject, and capably narrated by Carey Wilson. Felix Feist directed. Exploitation: Several good selling angles are contained in an article on the exploitation of this subject, which appeared in the issue of June 3, page 40. ROMANTIC TUNES Prod. ISo. 9660 Excellent Col. Community Sing No. 10 10 mins. Comment: The King Sisters and Danny Webb render in hot and swingy fashion some outstanding favorites among romantic tunes, with audience invited to sing along with them. "All I Do Is Dream of You," "Among My Souvenirs," "I'll See You In My Dreams," "Thanks for the Memory" and "There's a Rainbow Round My Shoulder" are the selections vocalized. Since these tunes are so well known, your showing of the reel will be a grand song fest. Del Lord directed under associate producer Hugh McCollum. Exploitation: Arrange a newspaper contest wherein readers are invited to send in their list of their favorite romantic tunes. If at least four of their selections are those in the reel, give them guest tickets. Tie up with music shops. JOCKEYS UP Prod. ISo. 9807 Col. Sport Thrills No. 7 Excellent 9^ mins. Comment: The men in the saddle and their trainers are the subjects of this sports reel. How jockeys condition themselves, how they live, and other intimate scenes make "Jockeys Up'' a reel that everyone will enjoy. Several notable riders are introduced. Ford Bond is the narrator. Exploitation: Mention it in your regularadvertising. Tie up with sporting goods shops on riding toggery. If there is a former jockey, or those who now make their living in that way, in your community, invite them to tell of their experiences for special features on the sports page of the local newspaper. POLAR PALS Prod. ISo. 4813 Fair Vita. Looney Tune No. 13 7 mins. Comment: This cartoon is only mildly amusing. Porky is up at the North Pole where he consorts with all the polar animals. A trapper comes along and Porky and his animal pals rout him with some unusual weapons. The gags are rather far-fetched and the subject can be rated no better than fair. Leon Schlesinger produced. Best to play it during the hot weather. Exploitation: Give the subject a plug in your lobby, programs and newspaper ads. Comment: Man's achievement as manifested in Treasure Island, site of the San Francisco World's Fair, is revealed in this interesting reel. Almost everything the tourist will see when he visits the Golden Gate exposition is photographed and described. But those puns by narrator Gayne Whitman — goodness! Hugh McCollum was associate producer. Exploitation: Tell your patrons they can get an advance peek at the San Francisco Fair by seeing this. Contact travel bureaus for tieups. HAUNTED HOUSE Prod. No. 4310 Exciting Vita. True Adventure No. 10 12 mins. Comment: Following the usual pattern of this series. Gibbons tells and the action shows how two little girls take refuge from a storm in a house reputedly haunted. There are no ghosts but there is an escaped convict present who ties up the children, gags them and locks them in a cellar. During the awful night they cry for help in vain but morning brings the state troopers with bloodhounds and their resultant rescue. It's an exciting, dramatic subject worthy of a place on any program where this type is needed. Joseph Henaberry directed. Exploitation: You might start a haunted house gag in your own town. Tie up with the Colgate-Palmolive-Peet broadcasts on which Floyd Gibbons tells of other true adventures. BROADWAY BUCKAROO Prod. No. 4028 Okay Vita. Broadway Brevity No. 28 20 mins. Comment: "Red" Skelton, famous doughnut dunker is in this one and once again performs his well known act. He inherits some money but only on condition that he retires to a ranch and live on it. Obviously, he turns his night club into a dude ranch and this serves as the setting for a bunch of vaudeville acts. To the vaudeville starved public, this subject will be quite acceptable and those who like Skelton will be well pleased too. Lloyd French directed. Exploitation: Stage a dunking contest in your lobby. Give Skelton a plug in your programs and newspaper ads. TECHNIQUE OF TENNIS Prod. No. 9808 Satisfactory Col. Sport Thrills No. 8 10 mins. Comment: A class in tennis is given by Lloyd Budge, Don's brother and one of the world's greatest tennis teachers. Using lovely girls as examples, he illustrates the proper swing, the grip, the forehand, the backhand, the serve, footwork, timing, after which he goes in for a few exhibitions of his own. For sport fans, especially tennis players, this is interesting and revealing; but those who do not indulge will find it just a little tedious. Ford Bond does the narration. Exploitation: Invite local tennis teams to a special screening. Perhaps you can get an expert to appear on the stage and give some of his own illustrations of tennis technique in conjunction with your showing. Tie up with sporting goods stores for cooperative window displays.