The Film Daily (1935)

',153! THE Saturday, June 15, 1935 ISGS^mS^ DAILY » REVIEWS « George Raft in "THE GLASS KEY" with Edward Arnold and Claire Dodd Paramount 80 mins. SUSPENSEFUL MYSTERY DRAMA WITH * INTRIGUING MURDER CASE, WELL DIRECTED AND ACTED. urice, i|. fOII! i-< Hi ■' lift, ■• (oik ;C il,. Mly. ','11!. m, Wiy IB of e coast A cleverly concealed murder mystery is the main element of entertainment in this picture, with a couple of incidental romances, some political ramifications and a bit of comedy also included. A wellfitted cast, doing good work under taut direction, also adds to the generally satisfactory results, with the performances of George Raft, Edward Arnold, Charles Richman, Rosalind Keith and Guinn Williams being of particular interest. Arnold is a politician with big ambitions and an eye on a Senator's daughter. Raft, his chief aide, warns him against aiming too high, but Arnold is confident. Also against Raft's advice, Arnold defies a big racketeer, Robert Gleckler, who retaliates by throwing suspicion on Arnold in the mysterious murder of the Senator's wayward son. Raft works himself into the racketeer's camp and risks his life to get evidence that solves the killing. Cast: George Raft, Claire Dodd, Edward Arnold, Rosalind Keith, Ray Milland, Robert Gleckler, Guinn Williams, Tammany Young, Harry Tyler, Charles Richman, Charles Wilson, Emma Dunn, Frank Marlowe, Pat Moriarty, Herbert Evans. Producer, E. Lloyd Sheldon; Director, Frank Tuttle; Author, Dashiell Hammett; Screenplay, Kathryn Scola, Kubec Glasmon; Cameraman, Henry Sharp; Editor, Hugh Bennett. Direction, Fine. Photography, A-l. "VILLAGE TALE" with Randolph Scott and Kay Johnson RKO Radio 80 mins. RATHER SEAMY SMALL-TOWN MELODRAMA WITH TOO MANY UGLY CHARACTERS TO AROUSE MUCH SYMPATHY. There are so many unsympathetic characters and so much of a depressing nature in this village drama that it misses out as popular entertainment despite the earnest efforts applied to its production. Story is i the familiar situation of small-town gossips putting scandalous interpretations on innocent relationships and thereby causing trouble. Central characters are Kay Johnson, an unhappy wife with a jealous husband, Arthur Hohl, and the sympathizing hero, Randolph Scott. Kay's friendship with Scott is distorted by the natives, eventually Bringing a showdown between Scott and Hohl, with the result that the latter agrees to release his wife so she can marry the man she loves. The yarn holds suspense, but there is a morbid taint to it. Occasional injections of small-town comedy help a bit. Cast: Randolph Scott, Kay Johnson, Arthur Hohl, Robert Barrat, Janet Beecher, Edward Ellis, Dorothy Burgess, Donald Meek, Andy Clyde, Guinn Williams, Ray Maker, T. Roy Barnes, DeWitt Jennings. Producer, David Hempstead; Director, John Cromwell; Author, Phil Stong; Screenplay, Allan Scott; Cameraman, Nick Masuraca; Editor, William Morgan. Direction, Handicapped. Photography, Good. At R1AW • • • IT LOOKED like a major slice of Park Avenue at that world premiere of "Becky Sharp" at the Music Hall the other eve with names prominent in the social register in evidence it was John Hay Whitney's own party other celebs present were Daniel Frohman, Billie Burke, Charles MacArthur, Helen Hayes, Anna Sten, Rouben Mamoulian Helen Westley, Tallulah Bankhead, Walter Pidgeon, Sylvia Sydney, Loretta Young Irving Berlin, Gene Tunney, Ed Sullivan, James Farley, William Gaxton, Tullio Carminati, Adolph Zukor, Mr. and Mrs. James Roosevelt ▼ ▼ T • • • TWO PROGRAMS of dance, dramatic and singing numbers will be presented by the pupils of Ned Wayburn .... on Saturday afternoon and evening, June 22 in the auditorium of the American Woman's Clubhouse on 57th St it marks the thirtieth anniversary of Ned Wayburn's career as a theatrical producer radio, stage and screen stars who have been coached by the impresario will be on hand and some will take part in the performances ▼ ▼ T • • • WE HAVE just discovered that one of our Chinese subscribers, the Hongkong Film Company, is managed by Charlie Chan On the marquee of Loew's Willard, Jamaica: "Cardinal Richelieu" — "The Swellhead" Post Mortem : Irving Chidnoff won the Special Prize, the 21 Club trophy, at the Film Tournament last Wednesday sorry Irv the Committee just notified us And isn't that a splendiferous pressbook cover achieved by Joe Weil for "Diamond Jim" with a large portrait of Mister Brady showing his many diamonds reproduced with glittering ground glass pasted on Testify Ascap Licensed Nearly All Radio Music Continued from Page 1) fought against allowance of the question, asserting that the NBC "master log" showing all musical compositions used on the network should be consulted to give the facts. Burkan said he proposed to subpoena the "master log". Burkan drew from Vannier the admission that about 50 per cent of symphonic and chamber music was in the public domain and that some show tunes, ballads and dance music were in the public domain. Burkan admitted that no motion picture production numbers were in the public domain. A dispute on what constituted popular music cut off Vannier's reply to whether there was any popular music in the public domain. The trial will be resumed Monday. Milwaukee Items Milwaukee — Summer closings here this week include the Gem, Studio and Whitehouse theaters. H. E. Lurie, who took over the Liberty several months ago, has turned the house back to 0. J. Vollert. Annual license fee for theaters in Port Washington, Wis., was recently reduced from $50 to $5. Variety club's nickel show for children held in over 50 local theaters June 8 netted $1,204.30 for the organization's milk fund for indigent children. A. E. Kuehn is the new operator of the Star, Oshkosh, Wis. Paramount in New Deal With Hecht-MacArthur Continued from Page 1) the sales convention in the WaldorfAstoria. Signing of a new contract with Walter Wanger also is understood to be in the offing. Another deal near completion is a trade with Columbia whereby Paramount gets Frank Capra to direct one picture in return for loaning Bing Crosby to Columbia. Omaha Items Omaha — Charles E. Williams, president of Nebraska and western Iowa M. P. T. O. and Scott Ballantyne, theatrical supply man, are making a tour of the southwest which will take them as far south as Oklahoma before they return this weekend. John Quinlan, assistant manager at the Brandeis, leaves for a twoweek vacation trip to the west coast. Bernard Hanighen, song writer, who last week married Julia Dorr of Leah Salisbury's office, is expected here, his home town, on the honeymoon trip. Regina Molseed, outgoing code secretary, will continue working for the old film board for a while to clean up odds and ends. It is understood a number of local exchanges are bidding for her services in their offices in executive capacity. HERE & THERE Denver— J. T. Sheffield, Republic Pictures head in the Denver, Salt Lake City and Pacific Northwest territory, accompanied Edward A. Golden, general sales manager, to the regional sales meeting being held today, following a confab here earlier in the week. Dave Frazier, manager of the Denver exchange, was toastmaster at the local luncheon, attended by about 40. Grand Rapids, Mich. — The Majestic, Butterfield house, has closed for the summer. Myron Van Buren, manager, will relieve managers of the other Butterfield houses throughout Michigan. Taft, Tex.— H. W. Hall, circuit owner, will soon open his new house which is nearing completion. Memphis, Tex. — H. Boren, operator of the Palace, has acquired the Ritz from Mrs. M. McClure. St. Louis — Clarence M. Turley, rental manager of the Ambassador and Missouri theater buildings and connected with the Best Amusement Co., was elected president of the National Building Owners and Managers Asso. at the annual convention of that organization in Cleveland. Charlotte — Recent North Carolina theater changes include: the State in Asheville, from C. L. and W. Theaters, Inc., to Publix Bamford; Majestic at Belmont from R. C. Rosser to Jack Ross; Masonic at Enfield, from G. F. Mercer to N. M. Barnes, and Capitol at Fairmont, from J. L. Caudel to C. F. Caudel. San Antonio News San Antonio — S. J. Davidson has become local agent for Good All Sound System and National Screen Service. Paramount exchange has started a Popeye Club for the kids. W. C. Kroeger of the ad sales promotion department reports a nice response. Bellinger roof garden, 507 E. Commerce St., has reopened as the Rialto for negroes. Four local houses, the Empire, Texas, Plaza and State, now have "Screeno". Gidney Talley, who recently acquired the Ples-Tex in Pleasanton, was in town a few days ago buying new equipment for all four of his houses. Loew Unit Declares Dividend Toronto — Marcus Loew's Theaters, Ltd., has declared an accumulation dividend of $1.75 a share on the 7 per cent preferred stock, payable June 29 to stock of record June 19. M-G-M Gets "As Thousands Cheer" "As Thousands Cheer," the stage revue which has just finished a nationwide tour after playing 49 weeks on Broadway, has been bought for the screen by M-G-M.