The Exhibitor (Nov 1941-May 1942)

12 THE EXHIBITOR 3n the Newsreels Friday, March 13, 1942 IN ALL FIVE “Mokey" March 24 NEW YORK — Metro announced last week that “Mokey” will be tradeshown nationally on March 24, instead of on the date originally scheduled. Rhode Island Holds ARP Meet Spragg Advises State Exhibitors Iceland : More U. S. troops arrive. Santa Monica, Cal. : Giant transport plane tested. Louis-Simon train for forthcoming bout. IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE MOVIETONE NEWS (Vol. 24, No. 54)— Wash¬ ington : President Roosevelt says America is on war front. Newport News, Va. : Half-a-ship reaches port. Barnegat Light, N. J. : Torpedoed tanker sinks. East Coast : Brazilian ship survivors reach port ; Brazil may declare war against Axis. Hempstead, L. I. : 64 year old vet re-enlists. New York: Navy relief show. Brattlesboro, Vt. : Ski jumping. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol XIII, No. 252*) — Puerto Rico : On guard. Washington : Roosevelt finds nation awake. East Coast: U. S. seamen keep ’em sailing despite sinkings. Hawaii: Pre¬ pares for air raids. New York : Navy Relief show. PARAMOUNT NEWS (No. 57) — Washinton : Navy changes high command. Hawaii : Pepares for air raids. Puerto Rico : On guard. Menlo Park, Cal. : Ultimate in home air raid precau¬ tions. New York : Nazi spies guity. West Point. N. Y. : International hockey. New York : Bill Slater, Paramount News sports commentator, now Major Slater. RKO PATHE NEWS (Vol. 13, No. 57)— Puerto Rico: On guard. Hawaii: Prepares for air raids. Washington: Navy changes high command. Ca¬ nadian West Coast: Jap fish fleet interned. Sali¬ nas, Cal.: Wartime rubber from guayule. Menlo Park, Cal. : Ultimate in home air rair precautions. UNIVERSAL NEWSREEL (Vol. 15. No. 66)— Puerto Rico: On guard. Washington: Navy changes high command. Newport News, Va. : Half-a-ship reaches port. New York : Navy Re¬ lief show. Cairo, Egypt: Girl “soldiers” in Mid East. Missouri : Trout season on. New York : I. C. 4-A track meet. Wednesday, March 11, 1942 MOVIETONE NEWS (Vol. 24. No. 53)— Wash¬ ington : Streamlined Army staff. Washington : Navy staff consolidated. California: Army school for gliders. Selma, N. C. : Munitions truck ex¬ plodes. U. S. A. : Junked jallopies for American victory. Long Beach, Cal. : Navy airmen gradu¬ ated. Caribbean : U. S. planes on wolfhunt for U-boat raiders. England : North Sea fort rein¬ forced. Australia : Nazi prisoners landed. Flor¬ ida : Widener handicap. Chicago: Women bowl¬ ers. Chicago: Roller derby. Bag punching exhi¬ bition. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. XIII, No. 251) — Singapore: Last pictures before arrival of Japs. England: North Sea fort reinforced. U. S. A.: Junked jallopies for American victory. Seattle: Tire doctors keep ’em rolling. Selma, N. C. : Mu¬ nitions truck explodes. California: Army school for gliders. Tuskegee, Ala. : Negro pilots get wings. Hiawassee, Ga. : Condemned bridge blown up by Army. Caribbean: U. S. planes on wolfhunt for U-boat raiders. Florida: Widener handi¬ cap. PARAMOUNT NEWS (No. 56) — Caribbean: U. S. planes on wolfhunt for U-boat raiders. Chi¬ cago: Roller derby. Washington: President Roosevelt addresses farmers. Granby, Mo. : Troop train crash. Seattle: Tire doctors keep ’em roll¬ ing. Tuskeegee, Ala. : Negro pilots get wings. Boston: Wool warehouse fire. Washington: Streamlined Army staff. Brooklyn : John Ciampo, athletic marvel. England: Women run steel mills. RKO PATHE NEWS (Vol. 13, No. 56)— Nether¬ lands West Indies: Subs strike tankers off Aruba. Washington : Streamlining Army staff. Singa¬ pore : Last pictures before arrival of Japs. Gran¬ by, Mo. : Troop train crash. Hiawassee, Ga. : Con¬ demned bridge blown up by Army. Tuskegee, Ala. : Negro pilots get wings. Boston : Wool warehouse fire. West Point: Army quintet beats Navy in basketball. Florida: Widener handicap. M, uance Shots Features SUNDOWN JIM (20th Century-Fox). John Kimbrough, Virginia Gilmore, Ar¬ lene Whelan, Joseph Sawyer. 59m. An average western, this has a routine story, plenty of gun fire, and little else. Kim¬ brough’s Texas drawl aids his cowboy characterization. LONE STAR RANGER (20th CenturyFox). John Kimbrough, Sheila Ryan, George E. Stone. 58m. Satisfactory west¬ ern is helped by adequate cast and smooth production. RIO RITA (Metro). Abbott and Cos¬ tello, Kathryn Grayson, John Carroll. 91m. Bearing little similarity to the original “Rio Rita,” except for the title and some songs, this is a typical Abbott-Costello show, and should get into the better grosses. FINGERS AT THE WINDOW (Metro). Lew Ayres, Laraine Day, Basil Rathbone. 88m. Here is a satisfactory horror meller for the duallers. Rathbone is properly sinister as a murdering doctor, but after he is indicated as the criminal, the im¬ probabilities of the story cause it to fall apart. MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER (Universal). Kent Taylor, Frances Langford, John Litel, Shemp Howard, Claire Dodd. 64m. This swiftly paced meller, with comedy relief twists and several songs, should hold up well for lower half billing. TOUGH AS THEY COME (Universal). Billy Halop, Paul Kelly, Helen Parrish, Ann Gillis, Huntz Hall. 60m. Typical Dead End Kids-Tough Guys yarn, this will satisfy the action trade, and serve on the lower half. RINGS ON HER FINGERS (20th Cen¬ tury-Fox). Henry Fonda, Gene Tierney, Laird Cregar. 85m. This is one of those lightweight dialogue comedies without ac¬ tion, which will probably hold its own in the class spots. It will need plenty of push. YOKEL BOY (Republic). Albert Dekker, Joan Davis, Eddie Foy, Jr., Alan Mowbray, Roscoe Karns, Lynne Carver, 67m. Based on the popular play, this is Hollywood satire, with two songs, several dance numbers, and, although a trifle light on marquee names, should do okay for the family trade. UNIVERSAL NEWSREEL (Vol. 15, No. 65) — Singapore: Last pictures before arrival of Japs. Washington: Streamlining Army staff. Carib¬ bean : U. S. planes on wolfhunt for U-boat raid¬ ers. Seattle: Three new ships launched. Califor¬ nia : Army school for gliders. Hiawassee, Ga. : Condemned bridge blown up by Army. Selma, N. C. : Munitions truck explodes. Boston : Wool warehouse fire. Miami Beach, Fla.: Pulchritude on parade. Chicago: Roller derby. Florida: Wid¬ ener handicap. TWO YANKS IN TRINIDAD (Colum¬ bia). Pat O’Brien, Brian Donlevy, Janet Blair. 83m. Here is a fast moving, topi¬ cal action show with lots of selling angles. Proper selling on headline angles will help. Shorts Drafted? Let The Exhibitor Fol¬ low You to Camp. It Has All the News Of the Industry — And the News Of Your Own Home Town As Well. GOING TO PRESS (Metro-Our Gang). 10m. Fair. LAND OF THE QUINTUPLETS (Metro — Fitzpatrick Traveltalk). 8m. Good. Providence, R. I. — Rhode Island, through its Council of Defense, is preparing special air raid warning trailers, William E. Spragg, co-ordinator for the amusement industry division of the Council, told 58 state exhibitors at an ARP meeting in the Metropolitan last week. Exhibitors will be expected to purchase the trailers and have them ready at all times for instant use, Spragg said. The meeting, the third state-wide gath¬ ering of showmen for discussion of emer¬ gency precautions in theatres, was ad¬ dressed by Spragg and W. Gurnee Dyer, assistant director, State Council. Pointing out that the film business had been rated as an essential in wartime, Spragg said it was the duty of the exhibi¬ tors to train themselves and their staffs for duty in emergencies. He urged that managers get in touch with their local civilian defense organizations at once. Distributed to the showmen was a 14page “manual for theatres,” outlining in detail the precautions, equipment, and training necessary for air raid work. Book is based, in a general way, on the manual recently distributed in Massachusetts. Spragg also made public for the first time the personnel of his state sectional directors and assistants, as reported re¬ cently in The Exhibitor. He announced that he would start at once on a tour of the state during which he will visit every theatre to give whatever assistance he can in the meeting of individual problems. HUB OF THE WORLD (20th CenturyFox — World Today). 10m. Good. SPY SMASHER (Republic— Serial) . First chapter 28m. Balance of 11 chapters two reels each. Kane Richmond, Sam Flint, Marguerite Chapman, Hans Schumm. Ex¬ cellent. THE FIRST SWALLOW (Metro— Car¬ toon). 7m. GOOD. THE RAVEN (Paramount — Cartoon Special). 14m. GOOD. DONALD’S SNOW FIGHT (RKO -Dis¬ ney). 7m. GOOD. National Legion Of Decency List, March 12, 1942 UNOBJECTIONABLE FOR GEN¬ ERAL PATRONAGE— “Always In My Heart,” (Warners); “Canal Zone,” (Columbia); “Dawn Express,” (PRC); “Fingers At The Window,” (Metro); “Heart of the Rio Grande,” (Repub¬ lic); “House Of Errors,” (PRC); “Lawless Plainsman,” (Columbia); “Scattergood Rides High,” (RKO); “Stage Coach Express,” (Republic); “Sundown Jim,” (20th Century-Fox). UNOBJECTIONABLE FOR AD¬ ULTS — “Drums of the Congo,” (U); “Kennel Murder Case,” (Warners); “Sleepytime Gal,” (Republic); “We Were Dancing,” (Metro); “Who Is Hope Schuyler?” (20th Century-Fox). March 18, 1942