The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

Servisection 5 THE SHORTS PARADE • TWO-REEL Musical CAFE BOHEME. Universal — Mentone. 17m. Paced by popular vaudevillian Saul Grauman, his musical stair-case, his company of entertainers, this turns out to be one of the better short product offerings in this Universal series. Metropolitan Opera Spanish dancer Rosita Ortega gives her usual exceptional performance. The singing PiedPipers swing out with a couple of popular tunes; Roy Smeck’s boys go sending with Hawaiian music; a couple of dance teams round out an entertaining Variety show. GOOD. (3229). L. S. M. Commercial NEW ENGLAND YESTERDAY AND TODAY. Jam Handy. 20m. From the opening sequence, in which pictures of historic events are super-imposed upon shots of several historic spots in the various New England states, until the final scene in which the nation’s flag flies proudly over Bunker Hill, this is not only one of the finest commercial films made, but also one of the most interesting travel subjects offered the public. It is a pictorial journey (via the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad) through a most fascinating section of the country. The spoken narrative is extremely well done. The best part of it all is that the exhibitors can get it gratis. (A 10-minute version is also available). EXCELLENT. ONE-REEL Color Cartoon DAFFY DUCK AND THE DINOSAUR. Vitaphone — Merrie Melody. 7m. It is getting so that Schlesinger is tossing his hat in the ring in challenge to Didney’s supremacy in the animated cartoon field. As yet, his claim doesn’t carry too much weight, but a few more entries like this and the public will sit up, take notice. Daffy Duck provides the action by eluding a hungry caveman (who sounds like radio’s Jack Benny), his dinosaur. There’s loads of fun connected with the chase. EXCELLENT. (4516). L. S. M. THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. Columbia— Color Rhapsodie. 7m. Jack Beaver builds a house, but a bear, ostrich nearly wrecks it at a house-warming, and termites finish the job. Jack, however, gets a bead on the two, makes them rebuild the place. GOOD. (9.509). Cartoon BIRTH OF A TOOTHPICK. UniversalWaiter Lantz Cartune. 7/z m. The squirrels bring in the food, burying it in the ground. The tree grows, the woodmen finally come along, eventually leading to the toothpick angle. A man follows the tree to the toothpick factory in time to get the first toothpick, which he calls Sylvia after the tree. FAIR. (3 250). J. CHICKEN JITTERS. Vitaphone — Looney Tune. 7m. Just an average black, white cartoon from the Schlesinger brush, this has its occasional laughs, occasional dull sessions. Porky owns a poultry farm in which all the inhabitants are happy until a fox comes along, but he is dynamited out of it at the climactic point. FAIR. (4810). L. S. M. THE CUCKOO BIRD. 20th Century-Fox— Terrytoon. 6m. The cat swallows the cuckoo, the doctor finally gets it out. This is bad. BAD. (9511). H. M. LITTLE TOUGH MICE. Universal— Dalter Lantz Cartune. 7m. A take-off on the Little Tough Guy or Dead End Kids, this shows the sissy mouse winning after all. BAD. (3 251). J. ONE ARMED BANDIT. Universal— Walter Lantz Cartune. 7m. Being one of those variations on “the villun’s got the mortgage — hooray here comes the hero” themes, with a slot machine (the one-armed bandit) playing assistant villain to the regulation mustached cuss, this proves to be lots of fun. The hero comes in at the last minute, knocks the stuffing out of the viper, saves the gal, reclaims pop’s nickels from the slot machine, gets back the mortgage. GOOD. (3252). L. S. M. Dramatic CHAINED. Vitaphone — Floyd Gibbons. 13m. Here’s one of those Gibbons “True Adventures” featured chiefly by a good story badly acted, the usual too much talk from Gibbons. It is the story of a boy who plays pirate, is captured by his playmates, then chained to a post. His friends leave him until the high tide almost snuffs his life out. The police arrive in time to save him. The children, acting out the parts, don’t do right by the suspensful story assigned them. FAIR. (4308). L. S. M. Musical DAVE APOLLON AND ORCHESTRA. Vitaphone— Melody Master. 10m. Still apparently hot stuff in his opinion. Dave Apollon is opening a night club, goes through the usual pre-opening torment with waiters, rehearsals, etc., with some flashes of how the scenes will appear. His Filipinos are not with him, which won’t make much difference. FAIR. (711). H. M. HELLO MAMA. RKO-Radio— Nu-Atlas. 10m. One of the nation’s favorite after-dinner speakers, emcees, provides the hub around which this muiscal wheel spins. It is too bad, however, that the rest of the performers do not do as good a job as George Jessel. He utilizes his famous telephone convensation with his mother to introduce the rhythm-singing Eton boys, dancer Frieda Sullivan, Emerson’s Mountaineer band. Since Jessel carries the show valiantly, this deserves more than just a “fair” classification. GOOD. (94209). L. S. M. SCHOOL OF TALENT. Amkino. 10m. Outlined here is the musical education program conducted by the Soviet Union for talented youngsters. Shown at the Moscow State Conservatory are several playing the instruments of their selection, with the finale an all-youth orchestra. The subtitle — “Children Virtuosi” — indeed applies. GOOD. W. W. ARTIE SHAW AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Vitaphone — Melody Master. 10m. It’s a cinch the jitterbugs will go for this because Art Shaw is today what Benny Goodman was a year or so ago. Even the “ickies” will be beating time to the music. Without any "variety” acts to slow up the musical presentation, bandleader Shaw swings his clarinet to "begin the Beguine,” "Let’s Stop the Clock,” “Non-Stop Flight,” “Pross-Tschai.” Vocals are well taken care of by Helen Forrest, Tony Pastor. EXCELLENT. (4713). L. S. M. WINNERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL VIOLiN CONTEST. Amkino. 8m. Presented, in short selections from the classics, are six winners, who offer, among other items, Puccini’s “Campanelle,” Chopin’s "Nocturne,” Paganini’s "Caprice,” Moszkowski’s “The Guitar,” the last played by the first-prize winner. GOOD. W. W. Color Novelty THE ROAMING CAMERA, No. 1. Vitaphone — The Color Parade. 10m. Poor color photography does not help this newest sub-series inaugurated by the famous cinematic brothers. The choice of subjects, however, is big leagueish enough to offset that anchor to a certain extent. The first sequence deals with barefoot football playing in Hawaii. The second clip is a natural for women since it deals with the latest in hair styles as done by Antoine, of Paris. The third sequence is some beautifully photographed shots of a three-master on which maritime seamen are trained. GOOD. (4608). L. S. M. Novelty THE FLYING FROGS. Amkino. 10m. Done entirely with puppets, this offers the "different” house a distinct novelty. It tells of two frogs, who will not study their lessons, how they are swooped up by a giant dragonfly, saved finally by parachutes. As in almost all Soviet Russian films, this, too, moralizes: that by studying one may learn to fly. GOOD. W. W. THE FOUNTAIN OF BAKHCHISARAI. Amkino. 15 m. The ballet of the Moscow Grand Theatre interprets the poem of the same name, recounting how the Great Khan Gerai returns from the wars with Maria, a captive; how she is killed in a jealous rage by the Khan’s erstwhile favorite, Zarana; how Gerai builds the fountain, but is doomed to a life of unrequited sorrow. In conception and presentation, this is fine, but the photographic treatment is almost insultingly mediocre. GOOD. W. W. HONORING A PEOPLE’S POET. Amkino. 5 m. Compiled apparently from newsreel shots, this shows very unsatisfactorily the according of the Order of Lenin on the Soviet’s 93 -year-old Jennbul Kozakh at the Kremlin in Moscow. Subject is poorly edited, badly photographed. BAD. W. W. THE MOTHER. Astor. 10m. Inspired by Whistler’s painting, this is a subject that might be played by all types of theatres, especially on Mother’s Day (May 14). It has for its background the James McNeill Whistler painting, being handled in good fashion. GOOD. J. SOLDIERS OF THE SEA. RKO-Radio— Reelism. 9m. The hows, whys of a Marine provide the incentive for this swell subject. Beginning from the time the recruit enlists with the leatherneck, it gives glimpses of the various phases of his training right through to the point when the young man parades as the finished product. It is a glorification of those service men who fight on both land, sea, done in grand fashion. EXCELLENT. (94608). L. S. M. STRANGER THAN FICTION, No. 61. Universal. 9m. Alois Havrilla comments, while are seen burnt matches, from which a miniature farm is constructed; a make-up bar; the photographing of animals, their training; a lighthouse on land; a swamp buggy on land, water; an ambitious tailor. FAIR. (3372). J. Travel DAGESTAN. Amkino. 10m. A travelogue of the mountainous Dagestan, an autonomous Soviet republic, this shows scenes of hydro-electric developments, farming, fishing in the Caspian Sea. FAIR. W. W. GEMS OF THE ORIENT. Modern Films. 10m. Without the Chamber of Commerce influence usually blatently obvious in other travel films, this manages to tell the story of far eastern habits, oddities better than anything we’ve seen. It is as good as any Fitzpatrick, the narrator giving it an edge over that better known travel series. The color, treatment of the variegated subjects are tops. EXCELLENT. L. S. M. GOING PLACES No. 61. Universal. 9m. With Graham McNamee giving a grand commentary, the audience is transferred to Rio de Janeiro in one of the top screen cruises in a long while Perhaps the subject is pseudo-photogenic; perhaps the folk who made the reel were inspired. Whatever the reason, this is a corking good travel subject. EXCELLENT. (33 59). L. S. M. '4,' 291