The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1939)

13 SPECIAL FEATURES Our Mr. Mentlik Travels to the “Lincoln” Premiere Springfield, Illinois. DtAR Ed.: Dunno, chief, how sonic of those other jun¬ kets to premieres went over, but you can bet the advertising department’s batch of contracts against black sheet of copy paper that there wasn’t a one that topped Twentieth CenturyFox’s trek to this town of some 80,000 hospit¬ able midwesterners. But more of that later. Thought you might be interested, boss, in some of our activities en route to the premiere. That train ride was almost as big a show as "Young Mr. Lincoln,” except that all us folk on the train were the cast in the screwiest com¬ edy anyone ever concocted. And not a soul paid any dough to see us. The first on board was the Boston contingent, as batty a group of persons you’ve ever seen. Led by M & P publicity director HARRY BROWNING, they proceeded to raise aplenty with everything and everyone in sight. Lemme see — we started from New York at 1:30 in the afternoon and were on board for almost a full 24 hours. Take time out for an average of three hours sleep for each guest; then figure on one drink per half hour. Simple arithmetic informs you as to how those Pullman waiters were kept busy pouring milk (?) shakes. Twentieth Century-Fox’s host for the trip westward included BILL CHAMBLISS, LEON¬ ARD GAYNOR, CHARLIE McCARTHY, TOM ROBINSON, JEANETTE SAUER, CHRISTY WILBERT, EARL WINGART. If ever hosts looked after the welfare of their guests, them were the guys. Got to talking with Philly’s EVERETT CAL¬ LOW, Stanley-Warner. He sends regards to our gang in the home office. The Record’s Elsie Finn and WCAU’s Allan Scott are a couple more of your hometowners who asked to be remembered. The New York Central accommodatingly shoved a piano into the club car, thus giving dusky BOB HOWARD the opportunity of giving us guys the opportunity of listening to Bob Ho¬ ward's batty piano pounding and vocalizing. Even if there was no liquid picker-uppers, the radio star would have kept us in just as good humor — almost. First stop was Albany where we picked up the Knickerbocker News’ TIP ROSEBERRY, the tall bemoustached gent who laughed himself sick at the thought of the Times-U nion’s ED VAN OLINDA missing the train. Rosie wasn’t feel¬ ing any too chipper (one of those day after the night before affairs), but he soon got into the swing of things. Of all things, he even played bridge with Boston’s PRUNELLA HALL, UP’s JOAN YOUNGER, and some other guy who could hardly remember his own name — so why should I bother. Up at Rochester we took on a coupla theatre men who, by saying they are old pals of JAY EMANUEL, put me on my best behavior. Publix’s BILL CADORET and Schine’s GUS LAMPE, two right guys made up the upstate crew along with the Times-U nion’s A. M. MILLER. After that there was only one more step to pick up passengers. Yep, Buffalo. Shea’s CHARLIE TAYLOR, newspapermen BILL MARTIN, TOM McCOY, ARDIE SMITH (there were more Smiths on the train than in the Manhattan phone book). We felt sorta sorry for photog JIMMY SILEO who was flashing bulbs and shutting shutters for the major portion of the journey. But we figured without Jimmy, who’s happiest when he goes around living up to his rep as a first class picture snatcher. Stage Mag’s KATHERINE BEST and Wash¬ ington News’ KATIE HILLYER struck up an acquaintance which is destined to survive. Hon¬ estly, boss, I've never seen two persons whose mutual battiness went together so well. Just a point in example: they were up and talking at six in the morning, making it purty tough for us more tired humans to catch some shut¬ eye. For those who weren’t bothered by the BestHillyer noise machine, the racket caused by the shifting of cars in the Chicago yards was enough to make jitterbugs out of cemetery inhabitants. LENNIE GAYNOR and his missus (Mirror’s BLAND JOHANESON) — especially the missus — didn’t seem to be bothered by any of the racket. He was up and around pretty early, but Bland took her time about getting into the dining car for a snatch of breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, chief, I had mine in the company of Twentieth Century-Fox’s JEAN¬ ETTE SAUER (she coulda knocked me over when she told me that she had an 18-year-old daughter) and the Journal-American’s ROSE PELSWICK. Not being a married man, chief, this was my first experience breakfasting with women. If that isn’t a potent argument against the marriage institution, then PEGGY HOP¬ KINS JOYCE is just an amateur. Wow, can they talk! Finally pulled into Springfield on one of the hottest days imaginable. When I tell you there was a mob at the depot, I am again making one of my favorite understatements. It was really the advance guard of the crowd waiting for the Hollywood guys to show up, but they let out a thrilling howl of approval when MAR¬ ION ANDERSON stepped out of her car. Over to the hotel we shot for a welcome shower; and then back in the lobby to see CESAR ROMERO, BINNIE BARNES, ALICE BRADY, ARLEEN WHALEN, EDDIE COLLINS mawled by thousands of admirers. It is only fair to say that Romero and Barnes, the only two not in “Young Mr. Lincoln,” stole the show. The afternoon was taken up by tours to some of Springfield’s historic spots. We spent the afternoon cooling off in the Hotel Abe Lincoln’s air-conditioned tap room. Came the night and off to the premiere. It took me at least 1 5 minutes to cross the street to the theatre — there were that many people blocking traffic. Kleig lights made a veritable daylight of Fifth and Capitol avenues. LOWELL THOMAS introduced MARION ANDERSON, whose vocal efforts brought down roars of approval and called for one encore after another. Each of the motion picture stars read a few written words, but it took CESAR RO¬ MERO to again steal the spotlight. It wasn’t an obvious theft. He just did it by the simple pro¬ cess of tossing away the script and sincerely speaking his words of thanks. His standing approval by applause of Miss Anderson’s singing further endeared him to the persons in the theatre (at $3.30 a throw). Boss, allow me to put in my few words of thanks to Fox for bringing a beautiful story to the screen. The Springfield people in the theatre more than just liked it— not because some of its cast was in audience — but because it’s a film that one just can’t help liking. Back to the Abe Lincoln we went. There was a buffet supper at which I very unsocially partook of scallions and radishes. I can’t help it, chief, I just ain’t got no will power when it comes to food. All the stars, with the no¬ ticeable exception of ALICE BRADY, came down and danced with the local persons. Again it was Romero and Barnes who made the most friends by swinging out a shag together, and then dancing with some of the natives. It went on until the wee hours of the morn¬ ing after which JOHNNY WALKER, A. M. MILLER, BILL CADORET, GUS LAMPE, and I went out for a shot of straight coffee. At three ayem, on the way back, we found Romero on a street corner gabbing with some of the local youth. Reread what I had to say about the trip to Springfield and you know what happened on the way back. There was a petition passed around urging Twentieth Century-Fox to make ( Continued on page 18, column 2) One of Film Daily*s Ten Best! Box-Office Champion in Motion Picture Herald for Two Consecutive Months . . . FREDRIC MARCH JANET GAYNOR, A STAR IS BORN with ADOLPHE MENJOU • Produced by DAVID O. SELZNICK Directed by WILLIAM WELLMAN • IN TECHNICOLOR RELEASED THRU UNITED ARTISTS June 7, 1919 THE EXHIBITOR QUAD