Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 2 No. 3 6 May 6, 1936 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Co., at 13 23 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, George F. Nonamaker, associate editors. Saul S. Leshner, business manager. Bell Phone, RITtenhouse 7424 Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin New York Office: 165 8 Broadway, New York City Room 486 — Circle 7-3094 HOLLYWOOD FLICKERS By HARRY N. BLAIR What The Newspaper Critics Say: THE GOLDEN ARROW (Warner) ". . . Fails to hit a bull's eye . . . Story literally falls to pieces on the screen before it is played out to its last reel . . . Bette Davis' acting, although, it is not discreditable, will hardly enhance her reputation . . ." — N. Y. DAILY NEWS. ". . . More refreshing story than the usual run-of-the-mill romance . . . Diverting, if not exhausting mentally . . . Excellent performances and direction . . ." — N. Y. HERALD-TRIBUNE. UNDER TWO FLAGS (20th Century-Fox) ". . . Lively, absorbing and romantic story . . . beautifully photographed . . . Thoroughly entertaining picture . . . Cast is splendid . . ." — A'. Y. DAILY NEWS. ". . . Cries out for extensive cutting. It is distinguished by some brilliant performing, veracious atmosphere and desert sequences that are visually magnificent and compelling, only to have these virtues marred by banal situations and tedious exposition . . ." — N. Y. HERALD-TRIBUNE. "20th Century-Fox has not stinted on its production nor on a cast which would do full justice to a stirring and romantic fable of the Foreign Legion and of Cigarette, the cafe girl who saved a battalion from the Arab hordes and died happily in the arms of her beloved legionnaire . . ." — A'. Y. 77MES. THE PASSING OF THE THIRD FLOOR BACK (G-B) ". . . Excellent ... A thoughtful, engrossing and delicately played picture . . ." — N. Y. TIMES. ". . . Curiously arresting for its direction, staging and performance ... A sincere production with excellent characterizations . . ." N. Y. HERALD-TRIBUNE. "... A cross-section of life in one of London's shabby but genteel boarding houses . . . Veidt excellent . . . All players arc unusually good types with three principal feminine roles particularly well played . . ." — N. Y. DAILY NEWS. Hollywood, May 5. Paramount studio officials are wondering what Joe Kennedy's connection with the company as "adviser" will mean to them. He's talking about "cutting down costs," and that always worries the boys. Watch out for that long-anticipated merger of Par and RKO to go thru now! Let's turn our thoughts away from the biggies for a moment into the more modest ranks of the independents. Looks like some big doings in the distribution end. All the indies who have been releasing through First Division are now out in the cold due to the new Grand National setup. Before the new selling season gets under way you are pretty sure to see several of the larger independents organizing their own distributing system. Fewer offices covering wider territories will be the plan followed in the beginning, at least. Just how Harry Thomas fits in with all this is problematical. It's pretty certain that he and Jack Cosman have some plan in mind. The latter was out here only recently inquiring about product. Mike Hoffman cables from Europe that he has lined up his distributing deals over there and will soon be back ready to start on those 30 features he has announced. Trem Carr is happily situated on the Universal lot, where he is preparing the new John Wayne series. The youthful cowboy star finishes up "Winds of the Wasteland," his final for Republic, this week. On the same lot the up and coming Gene Autrey is shooting "Guns and Guitars," concluding the current series. Also in work this week is "Below the Deadline," number five in Chesterfield's lineup. Maurice Conn, back from one of his periodic trips to New York, starts "Racing Blood," fifth of the eight Peter B. Kynes, starring Frankie Darro. Nat Levine, on returning from Kansas City, where he confabbed with Ray Johnston and Herb Yates, gives out word that Republic will turn out nine pictures in the next eight weeks, five for the current season's schedule. Our prison parole system comes up for a panning in no less than three new films. Universal has already finished "Parole," with Radio starting a picture on the same theme, and Sam Katzman of Victory Productions rushing through another. W. C. Field's delicate state of health has Paramount on edge, its present headache being the long-delayed "Poppy," already in production two months. Not to be left in a spot, every effort is being made to close with Harold Lloyd for another one as good as "The Milky Way." While on the subject of comics, rather surprising that Joe E. Brown will switch to Radio upon completion of his present pact with Warners. The piefaced boy will probably assume the place on RKO's program formerly held by Wheeler and Woolsey, whose boxoffice pull is said to be slipping. Got a peek at Columbia's new trademark the other day and it's really s^imphin. June Gale is shown posed in a flimsy garment which billows about her form in enticing fashion as she holds the good old torch aloft. This will first be sprung on the customers when "Lost Horizon," the new Capra picture, is shown. Incidentally, the sets in this one will knock your eye out. It promises to be a gorgeous spectacle. Republic is gambling on the re-election of President Roosevelt, having paid a pretty penny for screen rights to "The $5,000,000 Mystery," a magazine serial written by a group of well-known authors from an idea suggested by the Chief Executive himself. The film will probably be released as "The President's Mystery Story." Universal is looking around for a new vehicle to fit Vic McLaglen, it having been decided that musicals are not so forte so far as the big boy is concerned. This same studio is also dropping its plan to include actual scenes of the Dionne family in "Where Are My Children?" and will tone down the story so as to avoid offending the Canadian government.