The Film Daily (1934)

Saturday, April 7, 1934 FILM DAILY SPRING SHORT SUBJECT QUARTERLY 17 lies subject icii on' at tha ng ea ■ i erior t iios, larris, rota y Mar awan kind ii eferm it. If betti ; ofi al, hi subtl tri •ca j at tossinj in bettei als t« ir cent VITAPHONE COMPLETES W° OF ITS PROGRAM With production activities paced at the highest peak in its history, the Brooklyn Vitaphone studio has completed 90 per cent of its shorts for the 1933-34 season. Only 13 Vitaphone subjects remain to be filmed to complete the company's scheduled line-up of 130 shorts. The 130 releases on the Vitaphone release schedule are divided into seven series, as follows: 32 "Broadway Brevities" musical comedies, including 29 two-reelers and three of three-reel length; 20 two-reel "Big V" comedies; 13 one-reel "Melody Masters" shorts starring nationally famous orchestras; 13 one-reel "Musical World Journeys" by E. M. Newman, world famous lecturer, author and traveler; 26 one-reel "Pepper Pot" novelty numbers; 13 one-reel "Merrie Melodies" song cartoons and 13 one-reel "Looney Tunes" laugh cartoons, the latter two series produced by Leon Schlesinger at the Warner Bros. West Coast studios for release through Vitaphone. The "Broadway Brevities" series include a series of six Technicolor musicals produced at the WarnerFirst National Burbank studios. The shorts to be completed on the Vitaphone line-up include nine single reel cartoons and four two-reel "Broadway Brevities" musicals. 5 F. N. Releases Set Release dates on five First National pictures have been set, as follows: "20 Million Sweethearts," May 26; "Fog Over Frisco," June 2; "Side Streets" and "Circus Clown," June 30; "Return of the Terror," July 7. Two Warner pictures, "Harold Teen" and Registered Nurse," are being nationally released today. 2 More "Wild Cargo" Holdovers In addition to playing a second week at the Radio City Music Hall, RKO's "Wild Cargo" is being held over at Keith's, Washington, and the Golden Gate, San Francisco. Fox Upheld on Title An injunction to restrain Fox from using the title, "Bottoms Up" on one of its films has been denied by Judge Philip McCook in Supreme Court, County of New York. The injunction was asked for by John Hickey. Wind Up "Mickey" Season Philadelphia — The Junior Cinema Guild and the Junior League of Philadelphia will present today, at the Penn Athletic Club, the last "Mickey Mouse Day" of the current season. Walt Disney's famous Silly Symphony, "Lullaby Land," will be featured on the program, and as an extra added attraction one of the recently re-issued Charlie Chaplin comedies will be shown. UGH'"'*: 0 • • A POWERFUL champion of Eastern production is Herbert J. Yates who delivers a series of terrific blows to the Fairy Tale generally believed in to the effect that Hollywood is the only place where American pictures can be properly made in quantity production Mister Yates was interviewed by Irene Kuhn staff writer of the "World Telegram" and here are some of the telling points he made T ▼ ▼ • • • HE STARTS out by saying that we have made a great error in concentrating production in one spot he recalls the earthquake there last year a few miles away Hollywood is definitely in the Earthquake Zone the next disturbance might plump itself right in the heart of the studio district and zingo! the entire industry would be crippled in a few minutes through a cataclysm of nature and where could we turn for picture production? the biz would be absolutely licked RUINED and it MIGHT happen V ▼ V • • • FOR THIS reason it is vitally important that every company should make some of its product in the East From the financial viewpoint, the banks would be interested in Eastern production investment production here would give the financial man a chance to observe at first hand what is going on how his money is being spent not squandered, as was so often the case in Hollywood blind investing is over, too, as far as the public is concerned there are 12,000,000 people in the metropolitan territory from them millions could be raised for New York production they could see their dough at work and that confidence and sense of security would bring the necessary capital to build big studios here in the East. T ▼ ▼ • • • ANOTHER TELLING point Herbert J. makes is that 80 per cent of the talent in Hollywood is combed from the New York stage there are thousands of bit players on the New York stage who could be developed as attractive screen players they would answer the public's insistent cry for new faces but these bit players can't get to Hollywood on speculation they would take nominal salaries to work in Eastern production for they would still have opportunity to do their stage work T Y Y • • • WITH THIS expanding eastern production functioning instead of a handful of stars dominating the industry as at present, and dictating terms we could have at least 50 potential stars to draw from for far less dough than the ten snippy stars a healthy condition everybody benefiting and the system of Autocratic Stars smashed forever T T ▼ • • • SO THIS doughty fighter of a thousand Film Battles asserts "Eastern production is here to stay as far as my group is concerned It is my prediction that by fall, production in the East will be so heavy that there will not be enough studios available to supply the demand." that's Great! and we're betting that H. J. will go the distance and finish a winner hell, he always does he's the most Consistent Fighter and Winner in Film History anything that boy tackles is earmarked with Gold meaning Success if there's one thing we love to Boost it's Eastern Production for it means so much to everyone engaged in the biz in the East so, thanks, Mr. Yates and to you, Irene Kuhn, for one of the best newspaper interviews accorded a big film exec that it has ever been our privilege to steal but you won't mind it's in a Good Cause ▼ T ▼ • • • THEY ARE all set over at the Empey Club with the license for that spiffy bar and Peggy McGee on the switchboard is kept busy answering queries about it some of yesterday's luncheoners included Harry D. Buckley, Harry Shiftman, Ed Schnitzer, Joe Brandt, Lou Blumenthal, Dave Loew, Mort Spring COLUMBIA'S SCHEDULE TWO-THIRDS FINISHED Columbia's 1933-34 short program is now more than two-thirds completed. The complete program comprises 104 single reelers and 26 tworeelers, and the 1934-35 schedule will be approximately the same in number. The single series consist of "March of Years," "Minute Mysteries," "Krazy Kat," "Scrappy," "World of Sport," and "Laughing with Medbury." The two-reelers are "Mickey McGuire," "Broadway Comedies" and "Musicals." Among the latest two-reel features released this month, or shortly to be seen, are "Stable Mates," featuring George Sidney and Charlie Murray; "Mickey's Rescue" and "Mickey's Medicine Man," and "Love Detectives," with Frank Albertson and Betty Grable. Among the single reelers which are now ready for release are "Bowery Daze" of "Krazy Kat" series and "The Toy Shop," "Scrappy" cartoon. 300 Radio Stations in Tieup On Warner's 'Sweethearts' One of the most extensive radio iplugs ever accorded a motion picture has been set by Warners as part of the big national exploitation campaign for "20 Million Sweethearts." To date, over 300 radio stations in key cities over the country have been contacted to broadcast the electrical transcription program, which features the tune hits from this picture, as well as strong selling dialogue on same. These radio plugs are in addition to the company's plan for a nationwide New Talent Contest, for which they are dickering with a major broadcasting network. Tom Cochrane Promoted in Far East John W. Hicks, Paramount foreign department executive, has promoted Tom Cochrane to division sales manager in charge of the Orient. His territory embraces Japan, Korea, Manchuria, China and the Philippines. Cochrane was formerly "managing director for Japan. Continues in Gulf Ass'n Post New Orleans — John D. Duffy will be reappointed assistant secretarytreasurer of the Gulf States Theater 4 Reopen in Detroit Detroit — Easter week brought four theater reopenings here. R. F. Burnes opened the DeSoto in Highland Park; Arthur D. Baehr reopened the Ritr, formerly the Art; Arthur damage and Charles Rothstein inaugurated a burlesque and film policy at the Gayety, and Louis Chapoton and Nick Pappas opened the Empress. The Temple, Bay City, also opened with films under management of F. A. Thomas, formerly of the Priscilla, Toledo.