The Film Daily (1934)

1 7,1 Saturday, April 28, 1934 • FEATURE REVIEWS i n George Arliss in THE LAST GENTLEMAN" U. A.-20rh Century Time, Not Set FINE ENTERTAINMENT SUITABLE «|FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. GOOD DO MESTIC COMEDY WITH SWELL CAST SUPPORTING ARLISS. This is George Arliss' remedy for ailing box-offices. It is another answer to the ^exhibitor's cry for clean pictures and is worthy of strong exploitation. Arliss plays an old irascible man of wealth who rules his relatives with an iron hand and makes them like it. The comedy reaches its high point of laughter in a scene in which Joseph Cawthorn, as a minister addressing Arliss and his relatives, loses and recovers his voice only to lose it again. Edna May Oliver aids in the fun-making, while Charlotte Henry and Frank Albertson supply young love interest. Janet Beecher, Don aid Meek, Edward Ellis and Ralph Morgan are among principals whose work stands out. Prior to his death old Cabot Barr (Arliss) has had a talking picture made in which he recites terms of his will, and there is a novel finish as the heirs listen to Barr, who rules them even in death. Sidney Lanfield directed it well. Leonard JPraskins furnished excellent dialogue. Cast: George Arliss, Joseph Cawthorn Edna May Oliver, Charlotte Henry, Frank 'Albertson, Janet Beecher, Donald Meek, Ralph Morgan, Edward Ellis, Rafaela Ot'tiano, Harry Bradley. Director, Sidney Lanfield; Author, Katherine Clugblon; Adaptor, Leonard Praskins; Cameraman, Barney McGill; Editor, Maurice Wright. Direction, Fine. Photography, A-1 : THE WITCHING HOUR" with Sir Guy Standing, John Halliday, Judith Allen, Tom Brown Paramount 69 mins. GOOD CAST WASTED IN DRAGGY, UNCONVINCING DRAMA WITH HYPNOSIS AS THEME. The transpostion from stage to screen of Augustus Thomas' successful play has been badly handled with a tedious and somewhat fantastic photoplay as the result. The theme concerns John Halliday, a wealthy Southerner, who has the natural faculty of hypnotizing and also of "sensing" coming events. He is owner of a gambling palace, and during a conversation with a politician he threatens the man with death. His threat is overheard by Tom Brown, who is engaged to marry Halliday's daughter. While under Hall iday's hypnotic spell, Tom kills the politician, but fails to remember the crime or events leading up to it. All prominent lawyers refuse to defend Tom, believing that his defense is too weak to attempt, but finally Guy Standing, a retired judge, takes up the defense and gets Tom acquitted. Cast: Sir Guy Standing, John Halliday, Judith Allen, Tom Brown, Olive Tell, WilI'am Frawley, Richard Carle, Ralf Harolde, Purnell Pratt, Frank Sheridan, John Larkin, Selmar Jackson, Howard Lang, George Webb, Robert Littlefield. Director, Henry Hathaway; Author, Augustus Thomas; Adaptor, Salisbury Field; Scenarist, Anthony Veiller; Editor, Jack Dennis; Cameraman, Ben Reynolds; Recording Engineer, Harold Lewis. Direction, Fair. Photography, Okay THE -2&>* DAILY • • • A PRIZE of 20 berries was offered by Jack Gross manager of the Hillcrest theater in Losang for the best campaign put into effect by employees of his service dep't when the house played "Little Women" the result was 300 tieups! which miracle could not have been secured with a staff of expert exploiteers • • • THREE WEEKS bookings for Lupe Velez from Loew's opening May 4 in Columbus then Baltimore, Pittsburgh and the Capitol, New York Columbia's "Twentieth Century" has its world premdere May 3 at the Music Hall Clark Gable and Myrna Loy appear on the Hall of Fame program tomorrow eve in scenes from M-G-M's "Manhattan Melodrama" Ira E. Epstein, formerly with the Loew circuit, has joined the Rugoff & Becker circuit as manager of the Sheepshead, Brooklyn • • • COACHING TALENT that has prospects of Hollywood dough is the present job of Ted Green, former cameraman he has been assisting some eastern companies in grooming their prospective material for auditions and tests The Empey Club is becoming a pop spot in the evenings with the Lounge Room inviting the customers to the ritzy bar a swell dance floor and a dinner service second to none the luncheon crowds also are growing daily. . . .,. yesterday among those present were Felix Feist, Col. E. A. Schiller, Joseph Bernhard, Harry Charnas, Willard Patterson, Don Jacocks, Gradwell Sears, Ted Schlanger, Mort Blumenstock, Phil Reisman, A. W. Smith, Jr. A LITTLE from "LOTS" By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD £HARLES BRABIN will direct "Death on the Diamond," Cortland Fitzsimmons story, for M-G-M. t r T Carey Wilson and Carmelita Geraghty have set May 6 for their wedding. T T ▼ Buster Keaton has Dorothy Sebastian as leading woman in his next Educational comedy, tentatively called "Allez Oop!" George Lewis will also be in it, with Charles Lamont directing. Lamont also will direct the next Murray-Sidney comedy, "Plumbing for Gold," for Columbia. T ▼ T "Baby Take a Bow" is the new title of the Fox picture formerly called "Always Honest," with James Dunn, Claire Trevor and Shirley Temple. T ▼ T Harvey Gates, will collaborate with Herbert Asbury on "I'll Fix It." Leonard Spigelgass story, for Columbia. T ▼ T John Waldron and Harry McCoy will write an Educational comedy for Andy Clyde. George Hadden is directing "Chai'lie Chan's Courage" for Fox. T T ▼ Lou Breslau has been signed by Columbia to direct "Symphony in Punches," two-reel comedy with Howard, Fine and Howard, Ted Healy's stooges. T T T Warners will produce "War Lord," story of China by Robert Lord, and "Concealment," unpro duced play by Leonard Idle. ▼ ▼ T CAST ASSIGNMENTS FOX: Paul Harvey. Murray Kinnell, Domld Woods for "Charlie Chan's Courage": Roger Imhof, John Rogers for "Grand Canary": Kent Taylor for "She Learned About Sailors." COLUMBIA: Cora Sue Collins, Clannce Mrse for "Black Moon"; Purnell Pratt, James B. Leon for "Hell Cat." PARAMOUNT: Carole Lombard replacing Frances Drake in "You Belong to Me"; Henry Armetta for "Kiss and Make Up"; Rose Langdon for "Many Happy Returns"; E. H. Calvert for "Here Comes the Groom." WARNER: Joan Wheeler, Doris Lloyd, Mary Kornman for "Madame Du Barry"; Margaret Lindsay and Robert Barrat for "Dragon Murder Case." UNITED ARTISTS: Alison Skipworth, Paul Kelly for Goldwyn's "Barbary Coast"; John T. Qualen. Barbara Pepper, Addison Richards for King Vidor's "Our Daily Bread"; Elissa Landi, Louis Calhern for Reliance's "Count of Monte Cristo." MONOGRAM: Alberta Vaughn for "Randy Rides Again." KAO HOUSES REMAIN UNDER RKO OPERATION (Continued from Page 1) that RKO will remain in complete charge of operation and booking of the K-A-0 houses, with Major Thompson and Nate Blumberg continuing as executive heads of administration. Ike Libson, .partner with RKO in Cincinnati and Dayton, who was reported to be withdrawing from the partnership, will continue as operator of the Ohio theaters under RKO supervision. The executive set-up of the K-A-0 Corp. is: Merlin H. Aylesworth, chairman; J. R. McDonough, president; Malcolm Kingsberg, first vicepresident; Leslie R. Thompson, vice-president in charge of theater operations; Leon Goldberg, vicepresident and treasurer, and I. E. Lambert, vice-president, general attorney and secretary. A. M. P. A. Committees Appointed by Ferguson (Continued from Page 1) Paul Benjamin, Treas., Harry \T BIair S.ecy" ,Tohn c Flinn, Rutgers Neilson. Afarvin Kirsch, Paul Gulick. Lou Goldberg ?lo^?.SS MANAGER: Paul Benjamin. TRUSTEES: Walter Eberhardt— 3 vears Kelcey Allen— 2 years, Si Seadler— 1 ^-ear ' AUDITING: Edward McNamee. Chairman. Martin Starr, Vincent Trotta ENTERTAINMENT: Si Seadier. Chairman. Edward Finney. Marvin Kirseh. Edward McNamee. Terry Turner, Arnold Van Leer. Vincent Trotta. SERVICE BUREAU: Marvin Kirsch, Chairman, Lou Rydell, Monroe Greenlhal, Ray Gallagher. PUBLICITY: Arnold Van Leer, Milton Silver, Al Sherman, Martin Starr, Irwin Zeltner, James Cunningham, Jack Harrower, Mel Hey man, NATIONAL COUNSELLOR OF U S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Hal Home. ADVISORY COUNCIL: Howard Dietz. Hal Home, Robert Sisk, S. Chas. Einfeld. A. P. Waxman. Chas. McCarthy, Geo. Brown, Rodney Bush, Paul Gulick, Bruce Gallup. Bert Adler, Ed Finney. Edward McNamee. Only 40 Hours for Maintenance Help On instructions from Washington, the NRA Compliance Board is insisting that building maintenance companies servicing theaters work their men only 40 hours weekly despite the recent Policy Board ruling stating that maintenance company employes did not come under the theater code, it was said yesterday by Mrs. Anna Rosenberg, assistant to Nathan Straus, state NRA compliance head. Darmour's First for Majestic Hawthorne's classic. "The Scarlet Letter," will be the first picture to be produced by Larry Darmour for Majestic, instead of "Diary of a Bad Woman," it was said yesterday by Herman Gluckman, Majestic president. Paris Empire Reopens Paris — Closed since the Stavitzky scandal, the Empire has been leased by Pathe-Natan and reopened as a movie house with M-G-M's "Queen Christina."