The Film Daily (1935)

THE iSW* DAILY Saturday, June 8, 191 A Little from "Lots" By RALPH W!LK — HOLLYWOOD CERIES of broadcasts on the movies being sponsored by B'nai B'rith Grand Lodge is attracting a good deal of interest. In the first talk this week, Mrs. Leo B. Hedges, motion picture chairman of the California Congress of ParentTeachers Ass'n, spoke on "The Public and the Motion Picture," praising the improvement in films and the good work done under Will H. Hays. Victor Schertzinger will next talk on "Great Pictures of 1934-35," then Edwin Schallert on "Motion Picture Appreciation," and Mrs. Thomas G. Winter on "Pictures from the Women's Viewpoint." T T T Otho Lovering, film cutter at Paramount studios for more than a decade, gets his chance to direct. He will handle the next Zane Grey outdoor romance, "Wanderer of the Wasteland," in which Trixie Friganza will make her debut as a contract actress. T T T Pinky Tomlin helped to break the box-office record of the San Francisco Warfield last week. This week he is playing at the New Spreckles theater, San Diego. On June 24 he will stai-t work in "King Solomon of Broadway," for Universal. He is writing his own songs for the picture. Following his picture assignment, he will play a return engagement at the Warfield. T T T By the way, Tomlin will record six new songs for Brunswick. They include "That's What You Think," "Sweet," 'The Trouble With Me Is You," "I Have an Animalistic Nature" and "I'm Waiting for You." T T T Production is being completed on "The Voice of India" and the picture is now in the editing and dubbing stages. Paul L. Hoefler is the producer. T ▼ T Our Passing Show: Andy Clyde and Bob McGowan watching the Andy Clyde Cubs winning another same at the Clyde Park; Fred Newmeyer reminiscing about "the good old days" when he and a fellow director, Ben Stoloff, played professional baseball in Colorado. T T T Ben Lucien Burman, who wrote the novels "Mississippi" and "Steamboat 'Round the Bend," has been assigned by Carl Laemmle, Jr., of Universal, to pen an original screen story dealing with the old south. Tentative plans, according to Burman, call for the featuring of Claudette Colbert and John Boles. T T r Paul Muni, now appearing in "Dr. Socrates" for Warners, will make "The Death Fighter," by Pierre Coll in gs. Sheridan Gibney is doing the crcenplay. « REVIEWS of the NEW FILMS » "THE CLAIRVOYANT" with Claude Rains, Fay Wray, Jane Baxter GB Productions 72 mins. SUSPENSEFUL DRAMA IN GOOD ACTION TEMPO THAT OUGHT TO CLICK WITH AUDIENCES GENERALLY. Touched up with some tense bits of melodrama, this is a consistently absorbing story combining a certain amount of both class and mass appeal. Claude Rains, who does a fortune-telling act, discovers that he has real powers of clairvoyance when he's in the presence of Jane Baxter. He predicts a railroad wreck, a 100-to-l Derby winner and a mine disaster, but winds up by being arrested on charges of causing the latter calamity by upsetting the workers with his warning. Domestic trouble also crops up, with Jane attempting to take Rains from his wife, Fay Wray. In the court trial, Rains proves his strange powers by making another prediction that comes true. Then, realizing that his gift of foreseeing is just a curse, he decides to give it up, and Jane steps aside so the husband and wife can be reunited. Cast: Claude Rains, Fay Wray, Jane Baxter, Ben Field, Mary Clare, Jack Raine, Margaret Davidge, Denier Warren, Donald Calthrop. Director, Maurice Elvey; Author, Ernest Lothar; Adaptor, Charles Bennett; Cameraman, Errol Hinds; Recording Engineer, Harry Hand; Editor, Paul Capon. Direction, Fine Photography, A-l "ELIZABETH OF ENGLAND" with Matheson Lang, Athene Seyler and Jane Baxter Alliance Films 100 mins. STIRRING ENTERTAINMENT AGAINST HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. WELLENACTED DRAMA. The story of Sir Francis Drake and his marine blows which shattered Spain's power is sympathetically and dramatically told in this B. I. P. picture which John Maxwell has brought to America. It rings out with sincerity and moves at a rapid pace. Performances are generally good, particularly that of Athene Seyler, who impersonates Queen Elizabeth with distinction and a sly cuch of humor. Although the yarn at time suffers from inadequate development, the picture holds audience interest consistently. From a production standpoint, it is lavish and painstaking. In England's darkest days, Drake comes to the fore as a worthy adversary to confront the domineering Spain. Surrounded by treason and even mutiny, he goes from one success to another, climaxing his career with defeat of the Spanish Armada. The naval battle sequence is done in exciting fashion. Cast: Mathescn Lang, Athene Seyler, Jane Baxter, Margaret Halston, Sam Livesey and Ben Webster. Director, Arthur Woods; Author, Louis N. Parker; Screenplay, Marjorie Deane, M. Watson and P. Tolmay; Additional Dialogue, Clifford Grey; Art Director, Clarence Elder; Music, G. H. Clutsam; Cameraman, Claude Friese-Greene. Direction, Spotty. Photography, Good. Omaha Items Omaha— William Miskell, manager of the Orpheum, off work several days owing to a sick spell, returned to the job with spectacles. Charlie Schlaifer, advertising manager of A. H. Blank theaters, is another who turned up on the job with spectacles. I. M. Weiner, Columbia salesman, was in town last week attending his wife who underwent a tonsilectomy. H. J. Chapman, Columbia exchange manager, is in Lutheran Hospital convalescing from a recent operation. Variety Club will open its social season in its new quarters at the Paxton with a stag party June 14 and a $2.50 dinner-dance formal opening June 22. Minnesota Items Minneapolis — Two houses have dropped vaudeville, the Palace and Alvin. Detroit Lakes — Anderson & Anderson are building a $50,000 theater seating 750. Winona — Winona Theater Co. has opened the Avon. Jordan — Donald Grenge of Spooner, Wis., has added the Schultz theater to his string of houses. Plainview — Manager W. J. Caster will double the size of the Gem theater to 360 seats. Deer River — Manager J. E. Johnson is overhauling the Lyceum and adding air conditioning. Chicago Chat Chicago — "Man of Aran" has been cut to less than 4,000' feet and is being used as an added feature in all Balaban & Katz houses. Rubinoff, who has been making personal appearances here the past week, leaves soon for picture work on the coast. Emme Abplanalp, secretary of the code boards here, leaves for her home in Ridgway, Pa., after the closing of the code offices about June 15. Evelyn Ehrenborg and Betty Starr of the same office staff have obtained positions in local film companies. Jackpot is the newest prize night idea to hit local picture houses. Many houses are now having four prize nights a week — tango, bank night, screens and country store. Des Moines Items Des Moines — William D. Beckley, manager of the Strand, was called to St. Louis by the illness of his father. A. H. Blank and G. Ralph Branton, president and manager of TriStates Theater Corp., are in New York on business. Ten theaters were hooked up in the last car giveaway, and the crowds were so great on the final night that the entire picture industry of the city, 12 houses, has joined the next event of the kind. NEWS of the DAY Newark, O. — A. M. Brown, r ager of Buckeye Lake Park, h opened the summer theater at t park with first-run talkies. Lincoln, Neb. — Former City Ma OL ager Milton Overman for the L. , Dent houses here, is on vacation Verona, Pa., after having been ta en off the vacation shift at Greek Colo., and replaced by George Mo roe, formerly of the Chief, Pueh Overman is due here by June 20 reopen the Varsity. Conneaut Lake, Pa. — Harry Le is has opened the long-closed Pa| theater here. He is also finishii work on a new 3,000-seat outdo theater which will open next mon in the heart of Conneaut Lake Par McKee's Rocks, Pa. — Robbe carted away a safe containing $4( from the office of the Orpheum th ater. In Alliance, O. — Ray Wallace, mai ager of the Columbia, one of tl Tri Theaters group, announces tl house will close July 1 until Sep 1. The Morrison will contim throughout the summer. Syracuse — RKO Strand has clost for the summer. St. Louis Hearing Is Set for June 1 (.Continued from Page 1) eral Russell Hardy demanded a early trial. Counsel for the d fendant had asked that the trial g over to the Fall, asserting that will take three or four weeks an in summer weather and would r very uncomfortable for the jury, th Court and the attorneys. Hardy told the Court that Attoi ney General Cummings thought th case so important that he had at plied to the Chief Justice of th Supreme Court to send a specu judge to try the case if necessary. Report Douglass Suit Settled San Francisco — Fox Film Cor] las settled for $750,000 a $20,000,00 suit brought against the compan by Leon Douglass, billionaire fill inventore, charging infringement c patents on color photography, ac cording to Charles E. Townsend an William A. Loftus, attorneys fo Douglass. Taxi Catches Warner Train Fort Worth — Norman H. Mora; Vitaphone sales head, and J. Blank and R. Lohranz of Milwaft overtook the Warner convention s^ cial here by taxi after missing th train in Dallas. ^^ I^^^^^^^H *