The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

Servisection 5 tot, the other birds rescue it, all of which is very familiar. FAIR. (9528). H. M. DONALD’S COUSIN GUS. RKO-Radio—' Walt Disney. 7m. Donald is still cute as all get-out, but this doesn’t take advantage of his talent. His cousin visits the D.D. home, eats everything he can set his eyes on. Maybe it’s because we expect too much from Disney, but this just doesn’t seem to maintain the standard. GOOD (94113). L. S. M. THE HOCKEY CHAMP. RKO— Walt Disney. 7m. Donald Duck is a whiz on skates, but when he offers to play his three nephews in a hockey game they gang up on him with the usual results. This holds to the general excellence of the series. EXCELLENT. (941 12-. H. M. THE LITTLE GOLDFISH. Metro— Cartoon. 8m. Hugh Harmon makes an auspicious debut in the Metro short ranks with this nicely done tale of a goldfish who tires of his routine life in the little round bowl. He slips down the drain pipe of the sink, goes through some horrible experiences, is more than happy to wake up, discover he had been dreaming. It’s a distinct pleasure to report that the cartoons on the Metro release chart finally look as if they’ll come up to the high star ' j ” set by the other Metro short subjects. GOOl (W-885 ). L. S. M. Cartoon CHARLIE CUCKOO. Universal — Walter Lantz Cartune. 7m. Just fair, the story of a cuckoo bird who wanted to work only 44 hours a week. FAIR. (3254). J. CRACKPOT CRUISE. Universal — Walter Lantz Cartune. 6 54m. The best in the series, really in the top bracket, this shows a cruise around the world, burlesqued, with a sort of March of Time commentator. EXCELLENT. (3253 ). J. GOLF CHUMPS. Columbia— Krazy Kat Cartoon. 6m. As Krazy Kat, the girl friends go out for a bit of divot digging, an off-screen voice tells of their tribulations with their own game, those who come into their sphere of action. While probably a good idea, the off-screen voice seems to distract from the self-sufficiency of the cartoon itself. GOOD. (9705). W. W. MUSICAL MOUNTAINEERS. Paramount— Betty Boop. 6m. Betty arrives in the feud country, things start to happen, with music, dancing thrown in. This is just one of the series. FAIR. (T8-8). J. PORKY AND TEABISCUIT. Vitaphone— Looney Tune. 7m. Porky wins Teabiscuit at an auction, wins the steeplechase with him, in a cartoon which does not hold to the usual high Schlesinger standard. FAIR. (4811). H. M. THEIR LAST BEAN. 20th Century-Fox— Educational. 6m. The little foxes are hungry but one of their number solves the food problem by outwitting the hunters. BAD. (9512). H. M. Comedy CLOWN PRINCES. Metro— Our Gang. 10m. The gang has to raise money to help pay Porky’s folks’ rent. They run a circus, with the usual result when Alfalfa sings "The Man on the Flying Trapeze.” GOOD. (C-938). H. M. Musical ARCADE VARIETY. RKO-Radio— Nu Atlas Musical. 11m. East & Dumke .attempt to sell their new device to a penny arcade proprietor. The latter looks at a dance team, Lillian Roth singing, a harmonica quintet but there isn’t any sale. And the short isn’t anything over the aver• age, either. FAIR. (94210). H. M. COMMUNITY SING No. 8. Columbia. 11m. Swerving off the beaten path set by previous entries, this is more entertainment than community singing. Strauss waltzes are sung by the uniformed cast with Christine McIntyre giving out with a solo. It’s swell entertainment, but the audience will find it a bit tough to pitch in on the singing except for the "Blue Danube” finale. GOOD. (9658). L. S. M. THE CRAWFORDS "AT HOME.” Vitaphone — Variety. 10m. A very pleasant musical reel, with the Crawfords playing organ music, some vocalists, a dance team, and a plot which never interferes with the musical standards of the short. GOOD. (4909). H. M. Color Novelty UNUSUAL OCCUPATIONS, No. 5. Paramount. 10m. In cinecolor, shown are the doodlers (expression of sub-conscious mind) ; assembling old human bones; town crier; hand ornaments of Guy Lombardo; Jean Parker working on fashion designing. All are very interesting. GOOD. (13-5). J. Novelty KNOW YOUR HISTORY No. 1. Columbia — Happy Hour (Special). 1054m. Although remade from Columbia’s earlier March of Years series (currently available independently of the Happy Hour units), this first Know Your History is one which should find general use in the current patriotism cycle of the cinema. Dealing with the development of "Yankee Doodle” from a lullaby ("Lydia Fisher’s Jig”) through its use by the British as a song of derision, to its acceptance as the nation’s first popular song (1770), and with the story of the events leading to the "open door” policy in Japan by Commodore Matthew Galbraith Perry ( 1 853 ), the subject makes commendable use of narration and re-enactment. Here, indeed, is pictorial history decked out in the garb of fascinating fiction. GOOD. (9471). W. W. REMBRANDT. Advance Films. 10m. For the art, class house, here is practically a "must play” subject. Briefly outlining the history of art, the anonymous narrator centers his talk on the life and work of Rembrandt (1606-1669), how he was influenced by the past, how he influenced the future. Among the many paintings of the master shown in general view in close-up, are "The Presentation in the Temple,” "Lessons in Anatomy,” "Philosopher in Meditation,” "The (so-called) Night Watch,” "Drapers’ Guild.” EXCELLENT. W. W. SWANS. Paramount — Paragraphic. 10m. With commentary by Justin Herman, this tells the tale of two swans, how they fall in love, how they build a nest. With splendid photography, nice editing, this is a good entrant for any spot GOOD. J. TELEVISION. RKO-Reelism. 8m. A nicely done educational novelty, this explains in a language the layman can understand, the intricate workings of television. It comes at a time when commercial television sets are hitting the market, can be exploited from that angle. GOOD. (94609). L. S. M. WEATHER WIZARDS. Metro— Pete Smith. 9m. Patrons will be surprised that the role of the weather man can become so important in this attention-getting short, but Pete Smith has produced a story of how the weather man helps some fruit growers in California save their crops. It is all well done, deserving top billing in the shorts bracket. EXCELLENT. (S-907). H. M. Sport BIG LEAGUERS. RKO — Sportscope. 9m. Shots of the Chicago Cubs in practice at the Catalina Island training camp, followed by some fundamentals about playing the positions, intelli gently presented, primarily of interest to men, but a nice sports entrant. GOOD. (94309). H. M. DIAMOND DUST. Paramount — Sportlight. 10m. Ted Husing narrates, while Judge Landis is introduced by Grantland Rice, who speaks briefly. From then on, the content is that of explaining scientific baseball plays, etc. Men may like it. FAIR. (R8-11). J. NAVY CHAMPIONS. Columbia — Sports Thrills. 9 54m. Always a favorite picture spot for screen tourists, Annapolis provides the locale for this interesting subject. Instead of a trip to the nooks, corners of the Naval Academy, the camera takes the audience to the gymnasium, playing fields where the various Navy teams go through their paces. Final sequence is a visit to the Army-Navy football classic. GOOD (9805). L. S. M. SMOOTH APPROACH. RKO-Radio— Sportscope. 10m. It’s all so simple — if you know how. That reference to playing a good game of golf is on the authority of the gent who did the narrative on this swell subject. With golf pros Jimmy Thompson, Dick Metz, Horton Smith, Ed Dudley making the hardest approach shots look simple, it’s understandable why one can make the statement. The short is photographed in sepia, will more than please movie-goers. GOOD. (943 10). L. S. M. Color Travel RURAL HUNGARY. Metro— Fitzpatrick Traveltalk. 10m. Shots of Hungary, its farmers, its peasants, it cowboys, its agricultural life and customs, all presented in the usual "and so we say to farewell” Fitzpatrick manner. GOOD. (T-860 ) . H. M. Travel CALIFORNIA TODAY. Modern Films. 10m. A routine travelogue of Golden State, with John S. Martin narrating, this presents scenes of boating, a lion farm, the desert, the missions. While it is generally well done (photographically inferior, however), it presents nothing but what has been seen many times before. FAIR. W. W. THE IRISH ISLE. Central. 10m. John S. Martin creditably describes Dublin, County Cork, Cork, Limerick, the Lakes of Killarney, other interesting, quaint, colorful spots of the Emerald Isle. Photographically the subject is poor, but the green tinted stock, Martin’s narration, the variety of scenes make it seem better. FAIR. W. W. Miscellaneous FOR AULD LANG SYNE. Will Rogers Me morial Commission. 10m. The motion picture industry pitched in to make this year’s screen appeal for the Will Rogers Memorial Fund both an entertaining, effective reel. Author Robert E. Sherwood introduces Raymond Massey who enacts two scenes from Sherwood’s famous play, "Abe Lincoln in Illinois.” Lowell Thomas then describes the philanthropic institutions supported by the fund. The direct appeal is made by Spencer Tracy, who is introduced by lovely Deanna Durbin. GOOD. L. S. M. Commercial MORE POWER TO YOU. Jam Handy. 10m. The story of oil is here told, with the commercial (for Sun Oil Company and Sunoco products) more suggested than actual. With the aid of animated diagrams, plus Lowell Thomas’ fine narration, the story is told, from the drilling of wells to the "cracking” of the heavy oils to make more and better gasoline, and the transportation of the final products to central distribution points. Here indeed is a commercial that any theatre can be proud to show, a subject that is thoroughly entertaining at the same time educational. EXCELLENT. W. W.