The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

SPECIAL FEATURES 17 In Which Our Mr. Mentlik Goes to The Columbia Party . . . after much trouble with his date’s overly long gown, JEP’s New York correspondent finally arrived at the Columbians annual dinner-dance at the Waldorf only about two hours late . . . just in time for the soup course . . . faux pas number one was pulled the moment he arrived . . . for which sincere apologies to HERB FECKE . . . ... it was a Columbia party, but ’twas Warners’ PHIL ABRAHAMS who injected most of the life a couple under the belt and little Phil became more animated than a Disney and twice as funny . . . his rhumba routine with MRS. ROY CHARTIER was the comedy p ece de resistance of the evening . . . . . . among those who stood up, took a bow during the general introduction period were MR., MRS. JOHN BRAHM (she is a foreign screen player importation, he directed "Let Us Live”); Judge SAUL STREIT, NANCY CARROLL, comedian VINCE BARNETT ... a weaving journey through the main ballroom brought about an exchange of quick howdi’s between this correspondent, Paramount’s BOB WEITMAN, RKO’s JOHNNY O’CONNOR, the READE family, Randforce’s LOUIS FRISCH, HAROLD RINZLER, Loew’s CHARLES MOSKOWITZ, Century’s ARTHUR H. SCHWARTZ, JACK SHEA, SPYROS SKOURAS, New York Post’s IRENE THIRER, Daily News’ DAN WALKER, Fabian’s SI FABIAN. ... all the Columbia biggies let their hair down, trucked, shagged, waltzed, rhumba-ed with the lesser-salaried, better dancing employees there were MR., MRS. ABE MONTAGUE; MR., MRS. MAURICE BERGMAN; MR., MRS. MILTON BIOW ; BABE GOBEL; MR., MRS. HAL HODE; RUBE JACKTER; NANCY KLEIN; FAY ROTHMAN; MR., MRS. LOUIS WEINBERG; MR., MRS. SAUL TRAUNER; JOSE, HORTENSE SCHORR . . . . . . SOPHIE TUCKER took over the entertainment chores some time in the morning .... if the Waldorf weren’t so sturdy a structure, she would have literally brought the house down .... it’s a cinch she did it figuratively ... the Daily News' KATE CAMERON; MR., MRS. DAVE CHATKIN;Loew’s OSCAR DOOB; Music Hall’s RUSSELL DOWNING, GUS EYSSELL, Eastern Air Lines’ DICK MERRILL were seen stomping to the rhythms of GEORGE HALL’S orchestra . . . . . . being health addicts, we found it necessary to leave most of the folks around four in the morning . . . they were still full of life, but it was coffee for us, MR., MRS. AL SHERMAN . . . the SHERMAN’S had a short jaunt to Greenwich Village, but we had to get out to Brooklyn . . . that, at four-thirty ayem, is quite a tr'p — to put it mildly . . . Decorative Lighting • Glass and Metal Work Exit and Direction Signs • Ornamental Plaster Drinking Fountains • Air Distribution Plaques 36 Years in Business Is Your Assurance of Our Reliability. VISIT OUR SHOWROOMS OR WRITE US h m 0^ m 0^ |_ Desieners-Engineers-Manufacturers VOIGT 1745 N12th streetPhilq KEEP FAITH WITH YOUR PATRONS, BY USING . . . s e p. v / c e D CONTROI . . . the boys, gals who handled the affair did a wonderful job . . . names coming to our mind at the moment are NAT BIRNBAUM, SHEVIE CHASON, prexy LILLIAN STARK, DANNY HEISS, several others who will have to remain anonymous for the nonce. ... as an afterthought — the Censor Board’s IRWIN ESMOND was also there. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR From the MP Associates New York City. To Joe Joel: I need not tell you what a splendid article you wrote in behalf of the Motion Picture Associates. You know it feels mighty good when you see a publication such The New York State Exhibitor take up the cudgel and help push such a worthy organization as ours. You hit the nail on the head when you said that the Motion Picture Associates is the only organization in the film industry who do things cutting all red tape and not talk about it. The Motion Picture Associates, although it keeps clear of publicity, nevertheless appreciates the kind words for the worthy work that they do daily especially when we know the Exhibitor reaches so many thousand film men. It will perhaps interest you and your publications to know that hundreds have remarked about the appearance of the story, and those who have never interested themselves in the organization say ’’It was a swell story and I didn't know and realize the worthy work done by the Motion Picture Associates.” In behalf of Jack Ellis, president, and officers of the associat'on I say "Thank You and The New York State Exhibitor.” David J. Kane, In charge of publicity. ADVANCE SHOTS Reviews of the following pictures have been received during the past week. BOUQUETS FROM NICHOLAS (Walch Films) — Noel-Noel, Jacques Varennes, Paul Amiot, Madeleine Robinson. 75m. A French-made satire on American gangster films, this offers fine entertainment for the art houses, with possibilities in the right sub-runs. THE FLYING IRISHMAN (RKO-Radio) — Douglas Corrigan, J. M. Kerrigan, Paul Kelly Gene Reynolds. 72m. Partly enacted, partly narrated, this is a quasi-biography of Doug'es ("Wrong Way”) Corrigan. ICE FOLLIES OF 1939 (Metro) — Joan Crawford, James Stewart, Lew Ayres, Lewis Stone. 83m. A hibernal yarn, done in the Sonja Henie theme, this spots, first in sepia then in technicolor, two routines of the International Ice Follies in the story, principally played by Joan Crawford, James Stewart. MIDNIGHT (Paramount) — Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, Francis Lederer, John Barrymore, Elaine Barrie. 93m. A rags-to-r ches-to-rags story, this has Claudette Colbert, Don Am-che as a top zany team, with John Barrymore showstealing as usual. MY WIFE’S RELATIVES (Republic)— James, Lucille, Russel! Gleason, Henry Davenport, Marv Hart, Tommy Ryan. 63m. Second of the Higgins series, this has the father setting up a candy business, which fails, is later boosted to success. Short subjects reviewed during the past week: FOUR SEASONS (Walch Films). 3m. Excellent diagrammatic representation of the couses oc the seasons. G-MAN JITTERS (20th Century-Fox). 6m. Gandy Goose dreams he is a detective. THE HUNTING DOG (20th Century-Fox) — 10. Ed Thoreersen details the training of dogs. NORTH SEA (Lenauer-International) — 24m. A vividly told story of a rescue of the North Sea, how radio aids. THE NUTTY NETWORK (20th CenturyFox) — 7m. Paul Terry’s burlesque in technicolor of the Orson Welles broadcast. Number 21 of a Series: HENRY FRIEDMAN Operator of the LANSDOWNE THEATRE, Lansdowne, Pa., and LAWNDALE THEATRE, Philadelphia, Pa. "I have been reading with great interest the different remarks made by exhibitors throughout this territory about your trade journal, THE EXHIBITOR. This prompted me to also put myself down on record as one who sings the praises of the valuable services which THE EXHIBITOR renders. "In the short time that I have been in this business I have found your 'Check-Up,’ and the 'Short Parade’ not only valuable but extremely interesting; and the 'Fingertip File’ which you were kind enough to send me is useful and very much appreciated. ''I read your editorials with great interest because they are concise, and there are no 'punches pulled’ in any of them.” Nearly every Exhibitor reads THE EXHIBITOR! AN INVITATION Throughout 193 9, expressions of praise, comment, criticism or suggestion from our many Exhibitor Friends will be carried in similar form in every issue. W,e welcome the expression of every reader and will use them in the order in which they are received. March S, 19)9