The Film Daily (1937)

THE iS&H DAILY Saturday, May 29, 1937 BEAL SAYS TELE WILL GIVE FILM SHORT GUTS {Continued from Page 1 ) of television development and discussed some of the probable interacting effects of the new art with the sound motion picture. Beal said televising of outdoor scenes as they occur is entirely feasible under the light conditions which prevail during fair weather. Such events offer a broad field of program material, he remarked. Pictures of 441 scanning lines have been transmitted and received satisfactorily within a service area of a 30-mile radius from the Empire State Building, he stated. Good pictures have been regularly received at one observing point at a suburban home over 45 miles away from the Empire State Building. There will be a liberal use of motion picture film in television programs, Beal declared. UeuUws &(. hew 7-ilmt u. S. Television System of 100 Transmitters Seen A television system for the principal U. S. market areas, reaching 45 p. c. of the country's population, would require approximately 100 transmitters for single coverage, C. W. Farrier, television co-ordinator of the NBC, declared in speaking before the Advertising and Marketing Forum of the Advertising Club of New York yesterday. "The total area of the U. S. will probably never be covered completely by television service", Farrier said. "Large portions of the country will of necessity obtain their radio entertainment only from the present sound broadcasting system. Television will be one leg of a dual system and will offer at the best a limited coverage in this country". "Data now available seems to point out that reliable reception of television signals is limited to points which can be seen by a person ^ho is standing so that his eye level is that of the sending antennae", Farrier added. FMPC Sees Early Peace On Studio Labor Front {Continued from Page 1) FMPC case before the A F of L executive board at Cincinnati this week, returned yesterday and made a full report to the Federated strike committee. Federated spokesmen yesterday denied reports that FMPC officials, including Charles Lessing, acting head, have been on salary during strike. Ives, Inventor, Dead Philadelphia— Frederick E. Ives, 81, pioneer in color photography, and inventor of the half-tone engraving process, is dead here. "The Affairs of Cappy Ricks" starring Walter Brennan, with Mary Brian and Lyle Talbot Republic 56 mins. INCONSEQUENTIAL FEATURE WHOSE CAST IS HANDICAPPED BY WEAK PLOT AND DIALOGUE. To patrons accustomed to solid film fare, the affairs of Peter B. Kyne's character Cappy Ricks will seem like going on a mild alkaline diet. The story has slight stimulation in the black-and-white of the screen. Neither drama nor comedy, it is one of those neutral features which leave an onlooker in the same unstirred emotional state at its conclusion as at its beginning, save for the feeling of disappointment that nothing has happened. Walter Brennan and his heroic supporting players do the best they can individually and collectively in the face of the famine in both dialogue and situations. Mary Brian gives the footage an occasional esthetic lift via her beauty and vitality, while Lyle Talbot, Frank Melton, and Georgia Caine give generously but futilely of their acting talents. The yarn relates how Walter Brennan, as Cappy, finds it essential for both domestic peace and business reasons to abduct his family and commercial associates to "de-modernize" them and save his commercial venture at the same time. So he takes them off to the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific aboard his sailing craft. On these "uninhabited" isles and during the return journey he accomplishes what he set out to do. He succeeds in marrying off his daughter, Mary Brian, to his employee, Lyle Talbot to boot. It's all very inconsequential. Direction is of the outmoded sort; the photography passable. Cast: Walter Brennan, Mary Brian, Lyle Talbot, Frank Melton, Frank Shields, Georgia Caine, Phyllis Barry, Walter B. Davidson, Frank Shannon, Howard Brooks, Anthony Pawley, Sherry Hall, Don Rowan, Will Stanton. Associate Producer, Burt Kelley; Director, Ralph Staub; Author, Peter B. Kyne; Screenplay, Lester Cole; Cameraman, Ernest Miller; Editor, William Morgan. Direction, Uninteresting Photography, Passable. "There Goes My Girl" with Gene Raymond, Ann Sothern and Gordon Jones RKO-Radio 75 Mins. (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) RINGS UP A HEALTHY QUOTA OF LAUGHS DESPITE RATHER FAMILIAR STORY. This newest Gene Raymond-Ann Sothern offering will amply satisfy their fans and ring up a healthy quota of laughs. Although the story is rather familiar, Director Ben Holmes' long training in the comedy field is evidenced in the manner in which he milks the gags and situations for the best results. Harry Segall's dialogue is sprightly and he concocted a good screenplay. Frank Jenks, a former band leader, is a standout in a comedy role, while good work is done by Richard Lane, recruited from the stage, Alec Craig, Bradley Page, Joan Woodbury, Maria Shelton and Maxine Jennings. William Sistrom rates credit as the producer. Joseph August's photography is competent. Gene and Ann, rival reporters, have their wedding interrupted when Maxine Jennings "shoots" her stage partner, Clyde Dilson. Maxine and Clyde had been hired by Lane, Ann's managing editor, who is determined she shall not marry. Gene goes to Bridgeport to cover a murder case, and when Lane finally assures her a heavy expense account, Ann rushes to Bridgeport to try and induce Gene to return to her. Of course, Gene and Ann help solve the case, although Ann does get a badly aimed bullet for her trouble. Lane, little Dan Cupid's Enemy No. 1, again tries to break up the romance, but fails. Cast: Gene Raymond, Ann Sothern, Gordon Jones, Richard Lane, Frank Jenks, Bradley Page, Joan Woodbury, Maria Shelton, Alec Craig, Joseph Crehan, William Corson, Maxine Jennings, Clyde Dilson, Charles Coleman, Chester Clute, Roy James, Harry Worth. Producer, William Sistrom; Director, Ben Holmes; Author, George Beck; Screenplay, Harry Segal! ; Cameraman, Joseph H. August; Special Effects, Vernon L. Walker; Editor, Desmond Marquette. Direction, Expert. Photography, Competent. Minnesota to Get First Allied Circuit Tax Bil {Continued from Page \) Committee was disclosed at the closing session of the convention yesterday morning. Based on the recent U. S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Louisiana chain store tax, the measure imposes a tax of from 5 cents to $5 per seat, depending upon local state conditions, and is based on all theaters owned by the circuit nationally. Meeker Goes Monogram Cincinnati — Stanley Hecker, for several years booker for Warner's Cincy exchange, has resigned to join forces with Bill Onie, new franchise holder for Monogram here. U. S. Distribs. Battling Italian Dubbing Fee Jump {Continued from Page 1) of doing business in Italy, it was said yesterday at the Hays' office. A Hays' office spokesman said the association had no official word of a report sent from Rome by a press association that the U. S. companies planned to boycott the international film exhibition in Venice this summer as a result of strained relations with the Italian government. Press reports that II Duce's officials had broken an agreement with the American companies affecting film importations and withdrawal of money from Italy were denied at the Hays' office. SHORT SHOT* FROM EASTERN STUDIOS ii^= By SID WEISS = I } A L CHRISTIE has finished shooting on the latest of the Pat Rooney, Ill-Herman Timberg, Jr. series of comedies at the General Service Studios. The short, titled "That's the Spirit," features in the supporting roles Sally Starr, George Shelton, Eddie Hall, Lorraine Teatum, Marie Hartman and Forbes Dawson. Warren Murray and Johnny Graham assisted in the direction. Johnny Doran, general mgr. of .the Film. Art Studios, is lining up an ambitious studio rental program for the forthcoming month. In preparation are a two-reel Italian picture, a musical full-length feature and a series of 25 one-reel Constitutional shorts for the Dermac Corporation, one of which has already been completed under the direction of Sidney Goldin. Michael O'Meara, Robert Neinobar, Mary Radchuk and Johnny Coy have been signed for the first of a series of shorts to go into production in June under the banner of Musical Shorts, Inc. Coy is at present appearing at the "Frolics", popular B'way nite spot. Lloyd French has completed a Milt Britton band short at the Vitaphone Studios and will follow with two sports reels with Clem McCarthy. He leaves then for a four week jump to Hollywood. Addenda . Al Christie insists that he's the one they'll have to beat in the forthcoming FILM DAILY golf tournament . He's been practicing up on the sly at Bayside and claims a hole in nine . . . Sam Sax weekended in Chicago . . . G. V. T. Burgess, General Service Studio prexy, heading for the coast to look over reconstruction going on at the West Coast studios . . . Joe Henabery starts the first of the Floyd Gibbons' thrill series Friday . . . Fifi D'Orsay, Ruf e Davis and Georgie Hayes appear in the last musical short on the current Vitaphone schedule . . . Willie Stiles, who drew considerable attention last year in Vitaphone shorts, is billed as assistant director of the B'way musicomedy "Sea Legs." She is also understudy to Dorothy Stone and Catherine Mayfield in the show. More addenda . . . Ben Blake has finished shooting on the first of a series of mxisical shorts for Columbia release featuring Sid Gary and Val Irving . . . Pat Rooney, III, leaves June 16th to join his famous P^d. and Janet Reade, his wife, who ftf~~ be featured with him in Billy Rog&-*> Centennial at Fort Worth, Texas . . . Bill Watson's next at the Astoria studios will star Harry Gribbon... Sam Sax goes to Europe on his vacation— Lee Stuart is heading for the Canada wilds.