The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

HOLLYWOOD NEWSREEL Hollyivood News Draivs Plenty Interest • HELLO FOLKS! This is WARREN STOKES speaking to you from Hollywood over the JEP network. And speaking of networks, Flickerville is all agog over recent comment anent "Adolph Fidler.” • HARRY BRANDT played a lively tune on his house organ, flaying the commentator for his abuse of the picture industry and its people. Then JEP joined in the ever rising chorus citing the faults of the movie moguls in playing up these destructive chatter mongers to satisfy their own personal ego, thereby increasing the power of a boomerang because these destructive individuals are made to look more important than they really are. JEP says, "Let Hollywood and others responsible remember that they own the business and they can regulate it.” The sooner Hollywood realizes this the sooner will Hollywood be able to regulate and discount malicious radio chatter, through an authentic radio news source verified in the film capital. There are many ways to control this situation if Hollywood will bury its personal ego and sacrifice its selfish pride for a little bell ringing of its own. • HOLLYWOOD NEWS draws more listeners to the radio than any other form of ether presentations. Sponsors are aware of these facts. They know of the national inerest in things Hollywood and they know that news of Hollywood puts news of their product into the ears of more listeners. In view of these facts, we are inclined to believe that the sponsors would rather have the full co-operation of Hollywood and be able to say "This is authentic Hollywood News!” rather than "We are not responsible, etc.,” Manufacturers are eager to secure advertising tie-ups in connection with released pictures because of this same interest. If Hollywood would take the time to approach the manufacturers on this basis, there is reasonable assurance they would welcome those same tie-ups in connection with Hollywood newscasts. • FINDING FAULT WITH PRODUCT of the radio advertiser is simply a matter of following the same procedure as the commentator finding fault with the product of Hollywood. If no other plan is available, then it is time enough for Hollywood to retaliate with burlesque versions of highly touted products to the detriment of its own by giving a bar of soap or a scream shampoo three or four smells. However, the first logical step seems to be a conference with the adver ;/ MUCH ABUSED TERMJ There is Only One — tisers advocating the type of broadcast that would be a goodwill builder for both parties. • HOLLYWOOD’S OWN VOICE on the air is not an impossibility. It now becomes an absolute necessity. The radio audience comprises millions of prospective ticket buyers. It is time for Hollywood to harness that power for its own advancement and profit instead of catering to others who would use it for their own profit and advancement to the detriment of the motion picture industry at large. The investment in an industry commentator, to build goodwill, regulate and discount malicious gossip, if pro-rated between the Screen Actor’s Guild and the various studios, would be a mere drop in the bucket compared to the profitable results for individuals and the industry in general. • TOP STAR NAMES would naturally be available for the industry’s commentator to interview, adding more drawing power and more interest in the program. It is not without reason that manufacturers would solicit advertising tieins for their products, on these industry controlled broadcasts, and the motion picture industry would solve one of its most difficult problems, that of curbing malicious radio gossip, resulting in a profitable goodwill builder for everyone concerned. • THE NATION’S EXHIBITORS are vitally affected through this radio onslaught of the motion picture industry which naturally takes its toll at the box office. Ideas to combat this growing menace are sorely needed. We have herewith made our contribution to the cause with at least one idea that can be mulled pro and con. We have devoted this issue of Hollywood Newsreel to the radio picture as it looks from the Hollywood front. How does it look from your side of the fence? • JAY EMANUEL PUBLICATIONS enlists your aid in solving this difficult situation and will welcome ideas from exhibitors as will our Hollywood readers anxious to secure some working plan to offset the present air problem confronting our industry. JEP, in its 20th progressive year, has before called attention to the progress of radio to the detriment of the motion picture industry and is first on record with a concentrated effort to devise ways and means to combat this offensive medium. Now it is time for action. If we will all put our shoulders to the wheel and dig for that idea, perhaps we can throttle this ever growing menace and harness its power to our own advancement, so that radio listeners will twist the dials for the truth about Hollywood, its personalities and its product, and believe us when we say MOTION PICTURES ARE YOUR BEST ENTERTAINMENT! And that brings us to the end of another edition of your Hollywood Newsreel. This is WARREN STOKES, saying So Long Folks. ADVANCE SHOTS Brief Glimpses of Features, Shorts to Be Revieived Received too late to be included in last week’s Blue Section were the following features. These advance shots are given for the record pending the publication of the next Blue Section. BALLERINA (Cinatlantica) — -Mia Slavenska, Yvette Chauvire. 85m. A high-rating French picture, telling of a young dancer’s idolization of the opera’s premiere danseuse, this should go big in the art, French houses. FORBIDDEN TERRITORY (Hoffberg) — Gregory Ratoff, Binnie Barnes. 83m. A nabe dualler, this revolves around Soviet prison camps. GANG BULLETS (Monogram) — Ann Nagel, Robert Kent, Charles Chadwick. 63 m. Legal racketeering is the theme of cops-and-robbers dualler. THE LAW WEST OF TOMBSTONE (RKORadio) — Harry Carey, Tim Holt, Evelyn Brent. A swell western, this has Harry Carey a renegade who swaps his so-called freedom to capture the villain. MR. MOTO TAKES A VACATION (20th Century-Fox) — Peter Lorre, Joseph Schildkraut, Lionel At will. 6 5 m. Joseph Schildkraut pilfers the royal jewels from the Tower of London, but vacationing Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre, of course) gets him, them. PARDON OUR NERVE (20th Century-Fox) — Lynn Bari, June Gale, Guinn Williams, Michael Whalen. 65m. A good program comedy, with Lynn Bari, June Gale, finally dodging successfully their creditors, with the assistance of Guinn Williams, Edward Brophy. PECK’S BAD BOY WITH THE CIRCUS (RKO-Radio) — Tommy Kelly, Ann Gillis, Edgar Kennedy, Billy Gilbert. 78m. This makes no effort to be adult entertainment. The “bad boy,” circus angles, plus plenty of slapstick, make it a good kid show. SAY IT IN FRENCH (Paramount)— Ray Milland, Olympe Bradna, Irene Hervey. — m. A fast-moving comedy which should build through word-of-mouth say-so, this has Olympe Bradna a bride who must seem to be a French maid. SECRETS OF A NURSE (Universal)— Edmund Lowe, Helen Mack, Dick Foran. 69m. A doped, whipped pug falls for his nurse in this so-so melodrama. THE SHINING HOUR (Metro)— Joan Crawford, Margaret Sullavan, Robert Young, Melvyn Douglas. 75 m. A noted stage play comes to the screen as a class programmer, dealing with the domestic troubles of two couples, a smug spinster sister of the brothers. SIXTY GLORIOUS YEARS (RKO-Radio) — Ann Nagel, Anton Walbrook, C. Aubrey Smith. 90m. A superb production, on Queen Victoria’s eventful reign, this Herbert Wilcox production is a worthy successor to "Victoria the Great,” whose business it should greatly surpass. Short subjects reviewed during the past week included the following: CLEANING UP (Vitaphone) — 17m. Cross & Dunn frolic in a wax museum, in an out-of-theordinary comedy with music. FOOTBALL ROMEO (Metro) — 10m. Alfalfa’s romance with Darla is threatened, but he forgets it long enough to win the crucial game. A FRIEND INDEED (American Red Cross) — 2m. An excellent plug for a great cause, with Deanna Durbin singing the appeal. MECHANIX ILLUSTRATED (No. 1) (Vitaphone) — 10m. The scientific background of the Weather Bureau, isolation of vitamins, fire alarms, television is entertainingly told. THE MIRACLE OF SALT LAKE (Metro) — 1 1 m. An excellent recounting of how sea gulls saved the wheat crop of the pioneering Mormans. OPENING DAY (Metro) — 9m. Robert Benchley substitutes for the mayor in opening the baseball season — with the usual Benchleyan touch. SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE (Universal) — 12episode serial. Jackie Cooper is starred in a mixture of Boy Scouts, G-men, counterfeiters, Indians. SCHUBERT’S UNFINISHED SYMPHONY (Symphony No. 8) (Paramount) — 10m. An excellently recorded, photographed, abbreviated version of the famed classic. SYDNEY— PRIDE OF AUSTRALIA (Metro) — 8m. An excellent traveltalk of the Australian seaport. ON YOUR DESK EVERY WEDNESDAY November 2), 19)8