The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

Servisection 5 Color Novelty UNUSUAL OCCUPATIONS No. 4. Paramount. 10m. A wicker worker in England, a gal in New Jersey who punches bags, a dentist in New York City who builds with match sticks, a lady in Iowa who paints on cobwebs, and a man in California who collects antiques of the gold rush era. The last is especially good. GOOD. (L9-4) . H. M. VYVYAN DONNER’S FASHION FORECAST “FOR OUTDOORS.” 20th Century-Fox. 10m. The most gorgeous gals north and south of the Mason and Dixon Line garbed in the most gorgeous outdoor clothes Vyvyan Donner could get her hands on appear on the screen in this exploitable short subject offering. Ilka Chase is at her best as she delivers a humorous, yet authoritative, commentary. The Technicolor is superb, in keeping with the rest of the film. EXCELLENT. (0603). L. S. M. Novelty THE BERTH OF A QUEEN. Columbia — Cinescope. 10m. A narrative of the building of RMS. Queen Elizabeth — from the laying of the keel to her launching by Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth — “The Berth of a Queen” is saved from mediocrity by the appending of newsreel clips showing the ships’ recent arrival in New York. Although currently exploitable, the picture is, nevertheless, just a time filler. FAIR. (1974) . A. J. B. INFORMATION PLEASE, No. 8. RKOPathe. 10m. Again the rib-tickling tribunal of miscellaneous knowledge meets the caustic questioning of Clifton Fadiman. Guest this time is actress Ruth Gordon of “Abe Lincoln in Illinois” and “Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet,” and very charming she proves to be. Wine tasting and identifying is featured as well as numerous other queries, all highly entertaining. GOOD. (04208). D. O. THE EXHIBITOR STRANGER THAN FICTION, No. 74. Universal. 9m. The oldest drug store in the country, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; a Philadelphia process for making metal ornaments out of baby shoes; a woman who makes baskets in Kentucky; a miniature steam shovel maker in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; an armless woman in Louisiana. GOOD. (4379). H. M. Travel CLIMBING THE SPIRIT’S HOME. 20th Century-Fox— Father Hubbard’s Adventures. 10m. As exciting and suspenseful a true adventure the screen has ever carried, this one-reel record of Father Hubbard’s trip across the Alaskan glaciers to a point where he could measure the temperature of the “home of the icebergs” will provide loads of entertainment for all movie patrons. Breath-taking ascents and descents along treacherous ice mountains provide thrills galore. EXCELLENT. (0107). L. S. M. GOING PLACES, No. 74. Universal. 8x/2m. They Call It Little England, or a glimpse of Barbados, West Indies. With some high ranking photography, a sepia finish, good shots, and excellent editing, this belongs in the top group of travel subjects. EXCELLENT. (4359). H. M. Sport FLYCASTING. RKO-Radio — Sportscope. 9m. Fishing for trout is the favorite pastime of thousands upon thousands of Izaak Waltons throughout the land, and those myriad persons are, sure as shooting, going to make it their business to see the right way to cast for tricky trout. With the editor of Fish and Stream and his son showing the art of flycasting, this reel is a honey from beginning to end. Play it, by all means. EXCELLENT. (04308). L. S. M. LAST MINUTE FEATURE REVIEWS Florian (29) (Metro) Family Melodrama 95m. Robert Young, Helen Gilbert, Charles Coburn, Lee Bowman, Reginald Owen, Lucille Watson, Irena Baronova, Rand Brooks, Soke Sakall, William B. Davidson, George Lloyd, George Irving, Charles Judels, Dick Elliot, Adrian Morris, Jack Joyce, and Florian. Directed by Edwin Marin. Despite an overlong development of the plot that occasionally makes the picture a bit dragging, “Florian” is good entertainment, and has an interesting story that is somewhat off the beaten path. At least, no very similar yarn has flickered on the screen in a long, long time. Robert Young, Helen Gilbert, and Charles Coburn handle the difficult leading roles capably, and Irena Baronova, widely known ballet dancer, plays a small bit with a fetching pertness that ought to gain her bigger parts in the future. “Florian,” a handsome, trained white stallion, plays the title role. When the picture opens, Robert Young, a trainer on the royal Austrian stud farms, is attending the birth of “Florian” in the stable. After veterinarian Charles Coburn brings the colt through safely, Young sees that the newly-born animal is the perfect specimen he has been trying to breed, devotes himself entirely to raising “Florian” for royal exhibitions. His interest in the horse is shared by Coburn and also by a pretty young duchess, Helen Gilbert. Lee Bowman, a profligate noble, nearly gives the horse away to his petulant mistress, Baronova, and he himself is on the point of marrying Gilbert when the World War breaks out and sweeps the aristocracy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire away. Young hustles Gilbert across the Swiss frontier to save her from the post-war revolutionists, but he returns to Austria where he and Coburn are soon imprisoned. They are later released, begin to trace “Florian,” and finally follow his trail to America. They find the horse in a stockyard where he is about to be shipped away for heavy work, save him from certain death. Gilbert and Young are reunited at a fancy riding exhibition in which “Florian” proves he still has plenty on the ball. Estimate: Off-the-b eaten track fare; Play up unique angles of story. The Life of FatMILY Drama with Music Criuseppe V ercli 115m. (Esperia) Fosco Giachetti, Gaby Morlay, Beniamino Gigli, Germana Paolieri, Maria Cebotari, Maria Jacobini, Camillo Pilotto, Cesco Baseggio, Carlo Duse, Gustavo Serena. Directed by Carmine Gallone. Capturing many of the highlights in the life of Composer Giuseppe Verdi and portraying them in rather tabloidic fashion, this film should swell box-office receipts in all theatres catering to Italian audiences. In foreign and art theatres, the picture OVER THE SEVEN SEAS. 20th Century-Fox— Ed Thorgerson’s Sports Review. 10m. Coming as it does, when the sailing season is just about ready to get into full swing, Ed Thorgerson’s latest sports reel adds timeliness to its excellence. Outstanding photographic work features the cameras visit on board and alongside of various types of sailing vessels. Seen are the trim craft of international competition; the swift Atlantic seacoast fishing boats; and the wind-propelled craft from all parts of the world. Thorgerson’s commentary is authoritative and interesting. EXCELLENT. (0305). L. S. M. Commercial BEHIND THE FLOOD HEADLINES. American Red Cross. 10m. In this William J. Ganz production, Lowell Thomas tells of the work of the American Red Cross in inundated areas. A restrained commentary, with vividly real pictures, “Behind the Flood Headlines” is interesting as well as being a factual statement of the work of the ARC. GOOD. W. W. HERE’S LOOKING. Jam Handy. 9m. After a discussion of the eyes of fish in general and of the tarsier (a petite East Indian mammal), the commentator shows how the studies of eyes in both animals and man have lead to the improvement of the glass work in automobiles. GOOD. W. W. YOUNG AMERICA. Atlas. 10m. This short, sponsored by the Loyal Order of the Moose, is a good attraction for any town with a Moose lodge. Picture shows more than 20 different lines of activities of the boys and girls in the Mooseheart, Indiana, Home for Orphans, maintained by the Loyal Order of the Moose. The photography, in color, is exceptionally good, and the sound accompaniment is clear. GOOD. H. presents a problem in each individual case. The title and content are natural for exhibition in those spots, but the photoplay has certain technical shortcomings in photography and lighting which may and may not prove a handicap. However, with some extra push on the exploitation, it should check in with a profit. The film opens with Verdi (Fosco Giachetti) leaving for musical study in Milan. He returns to marry the daughter of his sponsor and, just a few years later, is plunged into despondency when his wife and two children die. He reaches his greatest heights as an opera composer while living with singer Gaby Morlay. Seen and heard are scenes and arias from “Rigoletto,” “II Trovatore,” “La Traviata,” and other Verdi operas. English titles are satisfactory. Estimate: Box office per se for Italians; exploit for arty profit. LAST MINUTE SHORT SUBJECTS KNOW YOUR U. S. A. U. S. Census Bureau. 4m. A subject for all theatres, this should be played in every house. It shows the purpose of the 1940 census, records highlights of census activity. It should go a long way toward enlightening all those who may wonder what the census is all about. EXCELLENT. H. M. BLUE STREAK. Paramount — Grantland Rice Sportlight. 10m. The blue goose, how it lives in Canada, and goes to Louisiana during the winter, how it is hunted down by the Indians and the sportsman. All in all, interesting. GOOD. (R9-10). H. M. 503