Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

12 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS 'FILM BULLETIN REVIEWS {Continued from page 11) other has awakened. If that plot sounds routine to you — it should! However, there is enough action in the smuggling scenes and the last roundup of the criminals to hold action fans comfortably engrossed. Strong exploitation of the human smuggling and blackmailing angles will help this through in the cheaper locations, but nothing will do it much good in better class houses. It's a fair action offering. PLOT: Donlevy, star reporter, and Claire, society girl working for a rival newspaper, both plan to expose and capture a criminal ring smuggling aliens into this country and then blackmailing them. They go to Canada separately and meet, when both arrange to have themselves smuggled into the U. S. by the gang. Their identity is known to the smugglers, who plan to murder them. They escape and lead to the arrest of the gang's leader, who is a prominent citizen. Claire is now convinced that she will be happier as Donlevy's wife than as a reporter. AD TIPS: Action bouses should make the most of the smuggling and blackmailing angles. The latter phase is a new slant and can be ballyhooed as "expose." L. J. Samuel Goldwyn Leaves Hospital New York. — Samuel Goldwyn was discharged from Doctors Hospital Tuesday, completely cured of the intestinal toxemia which he contracted on his recent arrival from Europe. He went immediately to his suite at the Waldorf-Astoria. Mr. Goldwyn will remain in New York for two weeks, holding conferences with his eastern staff and with the distribution executives of United Artists. The producer will then leave for Hollywood to take up the production reins at his studio and to attend the annual sales convention of United Artists to be held at the film capital from June 30 to July 2. PHILA. MERGER QUIET That on-again-off-again merger of the Phila. I.T.O. and M.P.T.O. units has been dormant for the past two weeks. Interest is lagging on the part of the majority of members of both groups and there is some question if even a united organization will gain much support from the rank and file independents, who are disgusted with the long delay in consummating the consolidation and openly condemn the leaderships of the two organizations. AWAKENING THE 'SLEEPERS' {Continued from page 2) Dixie Dunbar and Johnny Downs in a scene from "The First Baby" A teaser gag that is bound to get a lot of attention and send the pix off to a comedy start would be as follows: Promote a real baby from a poor family in your community and have a man carry the baby in his arms in buses, in trolley cars or subways. Everyone in the car will offer his seat to the apparently unfortunate father who has to tote his youngster around. Just a simple tag on the man's back reading "THE FIRST BABY" will get plenty of laughs and create an interest in the picture. Only a man carrying the infant can get the best results on this gag. For department, drug and furniture stores the title plus the possibility of June bride tie-ups is a natural for bedroom suites, kitchen furniture, drug items, infant accessories, flowers, etc. PRINTED MATTER If you use the newspapers, just tease your prospective audience along by slugging in at least four or five one-inch teasers carrying the title alone. If you don't use a newspaper, trick up your teasers with comedy cuts from Mat S. P. 3B and the title. For your actual display, catch line your copy at the heading and run into a bold black face title which should dominate the ad. A few comedy cuts interspersed would help. $ $ $ $ The Convention's Lighter Mood Everyone was agreed that too much credit could not be heaped upon Henderson M. Richey, Moe Horwitz and the committees that make the convention so brilliant a business and social success. The two dinner parties, the entertainment, the incidental social activities were so intelligently planned that one might have assumed a group of men with nothing else to do for months had arranged it all. And a registration fee of only $5 covered everything. The first night's party at the elaborate Mayfair Casino was worth that! On the wall directly behind and over the rostrum appeared the Latin word "Salve," which was what Nathan Yamins assured the delegates they would not get. J. H. .Morris, Ralph Wilkins' inseparable side-kick, won one of the golf prizes for a crack 73. The National Screen Personality Boys, George Dembow and Mort Van Praag, were on the job early, late and continuously. Incidentally, they grabbed off the best display space at the convention for their National Screen Accessories. Had the complete rear of the convention hall for NSA lobby displays. Ben Rosenberg was on the job and Herman Robbins popped in for one day. When six feet two, Russell Hardy went to the rostrum and started to talk about three feet over the top of the "mike." A. F. Myers' drollery asserted itself with the remark that someone "raise the 'mike,' or lower the speaker." Fred Herrington's Western Penna. delegation was the largest from any unit. 42 exhibitors from that territory were registered and approximately 30 wives and friends. * * The Phila. contingent consisted of Dave Milgram and Ray Schwartz. They received lots of attention fr.om Allied leaders, who wanted to know when the Philly exhibs would be ready to rejoin. Martin Smith's youthful appearance certainly belies the 44 years he claims to have left behind. Most noticeable happy couples in attendance: Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Richey, Mr. and Mrs. Sid Samuelson, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Newbury, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Chesborough, Mr. and Mrs. Pete Wood. A cable was read from Walter B. Littlefield honeymooning in Europe. Always the Loser In the course of his remarks on the resolution advocating the disassociation of producers from the exhibition field, Sid Samuelson asked the Allied delegates to bear in mind that "the producers have never won a legal fight against exhibitors on a broad principle of justice."