The Film Daily (1935)

DAILY Wednesday, June 5, 19ii A Little from "Lots" =— By RALPH WILK — ■ « REVIEWS of the NEW FILMS » HOLLYWOOD pRED ASTAIRE and Ginger Rogers will be starred next by RKO in "Follow the Fleet," musical to be directed by Mark Sandrich. Dwight Taylor and Allan Scott are writing the screenplay. It will be a Pandro S. Berman production. T T T Trem Carr has signed Arthur Lubin and Lewis D. Collins to direct four pictures each for 193536. Reginald Barker also has a four-picture contract with Republic. Lubin has the privilege of directing two outside productions during his first year. ▼ T T Jerome Kern has been signed by RKO Radio to write the complete score of "Love Song," in which Lily Pons, opera star, will make her motion picture debut. Miss Pons arrives in Hollywood July 1, and "Love Song" will go into production soon thereafter with John Cromwell directing. Eric Blore is the first actor announced for the supporting cast. T T T "Murder Man," an original story by Albert Levino, has been purchased for production by RKO Radio. T T T John Halliday, Henrietta Crosman and Fay Chaldecott are additions to the cast of Samuel Goldwyn's "Dark Angel," now in production for United Artists release under the direction of Sidney Franklin. Goldwyn expects to have three of his six pictures for 1935-36 in work by July. T T T Henry Henigson, former executive and associate producer at Universal, is scanning stories for a suitable yarn with which to make his debut as an associate producer at Paramount. Henigson recently returned to Hollywood after an extended vacation in the north. T T T Gregg Toland, cameraman, and Helene Barclay, former wife of McClelland Barclay, artist, were married last September and kept it a secret until this week. T T T "Hard Luck Dame," a story by Laird Doyle, is being readied at Warners as the next vehicle for Bette Davis, following her role opposite Paul Muni in "Dr. Socrates." T T T James Dunn has been borrowed from Fox by Warners to play the lead in "Real McCoy," with Claire Dodd, Patricia Ellis and Ricardo Cortez. Air Shipments Increase Air express shipped by motion picture companies via United Air Lines increased 22 per cent during the first quarter of 1935. compared with 1934, B. B. Gragg, district traffic manager of the line, said yesterday. Negative* composed the bulk of shipments. Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey in "THE NITWITS" with Fred Keating, Betty Grable, Evelyn Brent, Erik Rhodes RKO Radio 81 mins. AMUSING MURDER MYSTERY FARCE WITH MUSIC, SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM USUAL WHEELER-WOOLSEY. Between its gags, murder mystery and a few pleasing song numbers, this WheelerWoolsey farce has enough to make it a satisfactory affair suitable for the family trade. Bert and Bob, besides running a cigar store and writing songs, have invented an electric chair for making persons tell what is actually on their minds. Getting tangled up in the murder of a song publisher, Hale Hamilton, to whom they had tried to sell a song, the lads eventually solve the mystery with the aid of their gadget. Incidental romantic interest is supplied by Bert and Betty Grable, secretary of the song publisher, who had been trying to force his attentions on her. The direction keeps things moving along at a nice gait, with the laughs well spotted. Cast: Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Betty Grable, Hale Hamilton, Evelyn Brent, Fred Keating, Erik Rhodes, Charles Wilson, Lew Kelly, Arthur Aylesworth, Willie Best, Dorothy Granger. Producer, Lee Marcus; Director, George Stevens; Author, Stuart Palmer; Screenplay, Fred Guiol, Al Boasberg; Cameraman, Eddie Cronjager; Recording Engineer, P. J. Faulkner, Jr..; Editor, John Lcckert. Direction, Gcod. Photography, A-l. "SECRET AGENT" with Greta Nissen Alliance Films 89 mins. SLOW MOVING AND UNINSPIRED BRITISH DRAMA OF WAR SPIES FAILS TO CLICK. A very tedious film that unwinds so slowly and is so entirely lacking in tempo and suspense that it becomes an effort to sustain any interest for the long running time. A mass of unimportant detail clogs up the natural advancement of the plot. Stripped of the unessentials, there is little remaining in the way of original story treatment of the old theme of the female spy falling in love with a secret agent of the enemy. Even this well worn thesis could have been made suspenseful and reasonably exciting, but even here the treatment fails. So all in all there is not much that can be said in its favor, outside of the very splendid backgrounds, authentic locales in foreign countries, very good photography and a competent cast. But Greta Nissen lacks fire for the part of the female spy, and walks through her part like a girl in a tranquil society story. It will be over the heads of the mob with the involved action. Cast: Greta Nissen, Carl Ludwig Diehl, C. M. Hallard, Austin Trevor, Wallace Geoffrey, Lester Matthews, Esme Percy, Cecil Ramage, Don Alvarado. Director, Arthur Woods; Screenplay, Arthur Woods; Dialoguer, Frank Vosper; Editor, E. B. Jarvis; Cameramen, Cyril Bristow, Jack Parker. Direction, Heavy. Photography, Gcod Republic Eastern Group Leaves for Cincy Meet (.Continued from Page 1) rector of advertising and publicity; Norton V. Ritchey, president of Republic International Corp., and Madeleine White, assistant to Johnston will attend from the New York offices. Trem Carr, vice-president in charge of production, will fly there tonight. Twenty-six of Republic's 39 Exchanges will be present at the convention. These include: Albany, Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Des Moine,s, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Haven, New Orleans, New York City, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, D. C. The convention closes with a banquet Saturday night. DuWorld Closes State-Right Deals DuWorld Pictures has sold the entire southern United States territory for "Beast of Borneo" to Affiliated Film Exchanges. In Philadelphia it has sold "Stars in the Making," "Sword of the Arab" and "Yokel Dog Makes Good" to Capital Film Exchange. Sack Amusement has purchased "Beast of Borneo," "Sword of the Arab" and "Dawn to Dawn" for Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona territory. Sets Sydney Record Sydney — Columbia's Grace Moore picture, "One Night of Love", set a new record here by going into its 19th week at the Liberty. Gertrude Lawrence and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in "MIMI" Alliance Films 98 mins. RATHER SOBER ADAPTATION OF "LA BOHEME" HAS CLASS BUT MISSES ON EMOTIONAL REGISTER. Since it is bound to be subjected to a certain amount of comparison with the American silent version, this British International Pictures version of "La Boheme" is a letdown in some respects. It is quite long, heavy on production, short on music, and not very happily cast. In particular, Gertrude Lawrence is a bit too robust to create the proper illusion as Mimi, and this pivotal error seems to throw most of the works out of gear, making it difficult to build up the necessary sympathy, pathos and tragedy. In the production end, however, it is an elaborate affair, and there is plenty of good acting ability in the cast. The familiar story is about a pet of the Latin Quarter in Paris who leaves a rich protector and becomes the inspiration of a struggling playwright, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., only to die of consumption on the night of his big triumph at the National Theater. Cast: Gertrude Lawrence, Douglas Fairbanks Jr , Diana Napier, Harold Warrender, Carol Goodner, Richard Bird, Martin Walker, Austin Trevor, Lawrence Hanray, Paul Graetz. Director, Paul L. Stein; Screenplay, Paul Merzbach, Clifford Grey, Jack Davies Jr., Denis Waldock; Cameraman, Jack Cox; Editor, Leslie Norman. Direction, Fair Photography, Good "Men on Wings" Opens Friday Amkino's aviation film, "Men on Wings," opens Friday evening at the Cameo. NEWS of the DAY Lincoln, Neb. — Putting a stoc company in at the Capitol Beac amusement park here, the tent sho will go free, hence free movie polk will be dropped. Dallas — The Capitol is playin pictures at the rate of three a wee while the Old Mill is closed unt next month. New Orleans — William Mayli. who made a name for himself as restaurant operator here, now i revealed as an exhibitor al,so. H operates a theater in Kosciuskt Miss., and may invade Philadelphu Miss., shortly. Denver — National Display Cori of Los Angeles is opening a branc office here at 2081 Broadway. Th Denver and Salt Lake territory wi be covered for rental .service lobby displays. The office will managed by B. B. Perlman, who wil also represent Southern Poster Cc and Peerless Photo Service of Lo Angeles. Lincoln, Neb. — The Orpheum vaude-filmer for the last nim months, dt-opped vaude Saturda. night for dual bills on a split wee! basis. ■■:( k III it Peru, 111. — E. E. Alger, circuit op erator, has raised wages 5 per cen as a result of the NRA being rulec out. He says he can now operat* on a better competitive basis. East St. Louis, 111. — Sid Johnsor has taken over the American theater, formerly operated by Steve Habanek. St. Louis — Walter Light, operatoi of two theaters in Chester, 111., and formerly city salesman here foi Fox and other film companies, has been a patiert at Barnes Hospital suffering from stomach trouble Latest reports were he was con valescent. East Alton, 111. — The Ritz has been transferred by A. H. Boemler to Desberger & Boemler. Nashville, 111.— H. R. Hisey has taken over the State, formerly op erated by T. W. Dickson. Ashton, 111. — The Ashton, formerly the Pastime, has reopened under the management of Charles Irwin. Allied Favors Tribunal Allied is willing to co-operate with and support a voluntary industry arbitration setup, "equitable in character and binding," Eresident Sidney E. Samuelson said in New York yesterday. Collapse of the motion picture code through the U. S. Supreme Court decision finding it unconstitutional clears rhe way for such a move, it was pointed out. ^