The box office check-up of 1935 (1936)

HIGH POINTS IN THE SHORT SUBJECT OF 1935 Cl In music, color and novelty, it was a year of advancement for the short AMONG the innovations in the year 1935 in the field of short subjects, "The March of Time," not competing with newsreels, established a reputation for news interpretation and exposition, and in events dramatically and theatrically presented, achieved brilliant success. The year, as reflected by the product brought out, saw very definite steps forward in establishment of the very important place and service which music can fill in the short feature. This was evidenced in the obvious field of the production whose primary function is to present musical themes, but it was just as clearly mirrored in the telling applications of music as background. For example, the whimsical and humorous in instrumentation of either classical or original melody is now being applied as never before to the motion picture to key the action or the dialogue. No better illustration of this development is to be found in the realm of the comedy short feature than in the Popeye the Sailor cartoons of Paramount. Indeed, that has carried over into the radio presentation of Popeye as well. Then of course music has been an integral factor in the success of the Walt Disney animated color subjects. This use of music for interpretation also is emphasized in several directions in travel subjects, the relation being even reversed in the Musical Moods of Audio Productions, subsidiary of Electrical Research Products, Inc., where the music theme becomes uppermost and the visual settings become the accompaniment. Important, too, has been the advancement in the coloring of the short production with sprightly and witty narration, particularly of a topical nature. Of note is the Pete Smith chatter in MGM subjects; another example is the Lew Lehr dialect bit in Fox Movietone Newsreel. Among the cartoons, Mickey Mouse, with aid of Technicolor, became even livelier still, and the Silly Symphonies merited marquee advertising everywhere. Other efforts along this line have had varying quality so far as technique, plots and in THE BOX OFFICE CHECK-UP vention are concerned. Celebrity and the Harman-lsing productions ranked high for developing material very apt to become mediocre. But each of the efforts — Popeye's spinach, Betty Boop's Helen Kanish voice, and the Paul Terry-Toons — all have their devotees and are in demand, for they give feature-length excitement and humor packed into a few minutes. In this line there were Universal's Oswald, the MGM-Harman-lsing "Alias St. Nick," Celebrity's "Balloon Land," "Humpty Dumpty" and "Simple Simon," from RKO-Van Beuren, "Bird Scouts," and from Warner "The Little Dutch Plate." James PitzPatrick with his Travel-Talks has become a notable vital contributor to the art of travel picture production. His shorts are received with applause at their conclusion, proving that the public has an inborn appreciation of what is beautiful. In his "Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise," released by MGM, FitzPatrick was to be seen at his best. In this effort the pictorial compositions, in natural color, were masterpieces. Travel pictures, indeed, seemed to increase in popularity. Among the outstanding pictures in the travel group were the Movietone Magic Carpets, "Argentine Argosy" and "West Indies Cruise"; and RKO-Radio's "The Land of Evangeline." Featurettes, such as Pathe Topics with their choice of material from various fields, made valuable additions to many programs. In this line, "Strange As It Seems," "Adventures, of a Newsreel Cameraman," and "Going Places with Lowell Thomas," to name only a few, were notable. An innovation in 1935 which perhaps may be called questionable so far as the nature of the material is concerned, was the "Voice of Experience" productions. They had the advantage of a following built up by radio broadcasts, but the stories and cases involved were morbid. In sports, the Bill Corum productions, such as "Bugles From the Blue Grass" and "Gentlemen Sports," by RKO-Van Beuren, make for good entertainment. One of the best of the year was a Warner effort on badminton. It was perhaps the fastest thing in sport ever shown on a screen, and it fascinated audiences. With a fertile field always filled with new champions, this branch of shorts production has plenty of appealing material. There were a great many shorts of musical nature made in 1935, and generally produced good entertainment. Some made an impression. Vaudeville acts in these efforts are seemingly lost on film. The year 1935 saw some that were made on a pattern resembling the modern musical stage productions, with the trend for satire marked. A few in this department were MGM's "Starlit Days at the Lido," Educational's "Perfect Thirty Sixes" and "Rhythm of Paree," and "The Doorman's Opera" from the Warner Brothers Vitaphone studio. The public's increasing interest in musical short product has been noted in exhibitors' reports to "What the Picture Did for Me" department of Motion Picture Herald, both in commendatory comments on subjects played and in inquiries as to availability of more such material. That the companies have recognized that demand is shown by the growing number of productions definitely attuned to that call in series classifications. Educational has the "Musical Comedies" grouping, the "Song and Comedy Hits," to say nothing of individual music subjects under other series listings. First Division distributes the "Musical Moods" already referred to, MGM the "Happy Harmonies" and "Musical Revues," Paramount the "Screen Songs" (but in addition many of the "Headliners" series are out-and-out music pictures), RKO Radio could cite the "Musicomedies," the "Musicals" and the "Radio Musical Comedies," Universal the "Cartune Classics" and the "Mentone Musical Comedies." Warner Brothers emphasizes the ranking that melody has won on the screen with its "Looney Tunes" and "Melody Masters" and in many of the subjects of the series called the "Big Time Vaud eville Reel" and in the "Broadway Brevities." MGM's Laurel and Hardy comedies, with Mae Busch, Harry Langdon and the rest of the standbys, maintained their high position. In demand for good standard comedy, these Hal Roach productions are always certain of good reception. 80 OF 19 3 5