The Film Daily (1935)

THE ■s&a DAILY Thursday, June 27, 1935 » REVIEWS i< "IN CALIENTP' with Dolores Del Rio, Pat O'Brien, Leo Carrillo, Edward Everett Horton, Glenda Farrell First National 84 mins. ENTERTAINING ROMANTIC MUSICAL WITH STRONG CAST AND FINE PRODUCTION THOUGH STORY IS BELOW PAR. Notwithstanding some deficiencies in story, this production makes satisfactory entertainment by reason of its excellent cast, good production values and various specialties that give it flavor. Then it has an effective musical number, "Lady in Red", that is currently sweeping the country. Story deals with the efforts of Ed Horton, a publisher, to separate his editor, Pat O'Brien, from the designing Glenda Farrell. Pat is boozed up and taken to Caliente, where Horton offers $2,000 to Dolores Del Rio, an actress, if she will keep Pat there. Dolores, seeing a chance to get even with Pat for some nasty things he wrote about her, accepts the offer. But they fall in love and further mixups follow when Glenda arrives with the idea of marrying Pat. In the end, Pat gets Dolores and Ed gets Glenda. Cast: Dolores Del Rio, Pat O'Brien, Leo Carrillo, Edward Everett Horton, Glenda Farrell, The DeMarcos, The Canova Family, Phil Regan, Dorothy Dare, Winifred Shaw, Luis Alberni, George Humbert, William Davidson, Harry Holman, Soledad Jiminez, Herman Bing, Florence Fair. Director, Lloyd Bacon; Authors, Ralph Block, Warren Duff; Screenplay, Jerry Wald, Julius Epstein; Music and Lyrics, Harry Warren, Al Dubin, Mort Dixon, Allie Wrubel; Dances, Busby Berkeley; Cameramen, Sol Polito, George Barnes; Editor, Jimmy Gibbons. Direction, Snappy. Photography, A-l. "SPRING TONIC" with Lew Ayres, Claire Trevor, ZaSu Pitts, Jack Haley, Tala Birell, Mitchell & Durant Fox 58 mins. GOOD CAST AND PRODUCTION EFFORT DEFEATED BY JUMBLED STORY THAT MISSES FROM THE START. With a story that is somewhat of a nightmare, this picture never rises very high as entertainment. It has plenty of good troupers in the cast, and Clyde Bruckman put some earnest effort in the direction, but there was no overcoming the material. Claire Trevor runs away from Lew Ayres on their wedding eve because he's too dull for her. Accompanied by her maid, Claire takes refuge in a mystreious inn, where all sorts of strange events take place, including the escape of a tiger from a circus, which results in a lot of chasing and shooting, not to mention singing and acrobatics by members of the circus. Finally it develops that the tiger really is tame, but Lew utilizes the animal to make a hit with Claire, thereby winning her back. Mitchell & Durant hand out some laughs. Cast: Lew Ayres, Claire Trevor, ZaSu Pitts, Jack Haley, Tala Birell, Mitchell & Durant, Walter King, Sigfried Rumann. Producer, Robert T. Kane; Director, Clyde Bruckman; Authors, Ben Hecht, Rose Caylor; Screenplay, Patterson McNutt, R. W. Haneman; Cameraman, L. W. O'Connell. Direction, Handicapped. Photography, Good. NEWS of the DAY Camdenton, Mo. — S. F. Wilson will open the Camden theater, now under construction, some time in September. New Orleans — Freddie Dudenheffer, old-timer of film row and onetime manager for Fox here, has joined Goodrow Attractions as manager. Dudenheffer is understood to have an owner's interest. Oklahoma City— The Plaza, Pat McGee's newest Standard Theaters house here, will be completed and ready for opening July 14. Oklahoma City — Fox Film's new $25,000 fire-proof exchange building will be ready for occupancy in the early fall. A similar structure is being erected just across the street for M-G-M. Academy Launches Acoustical Survey West Coast Bureau, of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — The Academy Research Council's survey of the acoustic and sound proofing characteristics of all types of set and construction materials got under way yesterday with the first meeting of the newly appointed sub-committee. As outlined by the Council, the survey will cover the sound resisting and sound absorptive qualities of all types of plasters, bricks, wood wall panels, etc., as well as a study of the characteristics of fire resistance, ease of handling in construction, etc. Upon the completion of the survey, which will include comprehensive tests of the various materials under consideration, the Council will issue a report to the producing companies covering the findings, for the guidance of sound, art and construction departments. The sub-committee membership includes all major company construction department heads. Larry Kent to Locate West Larry Kent, buying executive connected with the Skouras New York office, tomorrow leaves for the Coast, where he will make his headquarters to work with Jack Sullivan in buying for Fox West Coast, under supervision of Charles Skouras. Kent joined Skouras several years ago after having been in charge of Paramount's short subject production at the Long Island studio. Berenson-Para. Claim Hearing Hearing will be held tomorrow before Special Master John E. Joyce on application of the Paramount trustees to allow the $35,540 claim of Lawrence Berenson for legal services in the amount of $20,000. A report signed yesterday by Special Master Joyce approved the reduction of the claim of the American National Bank of Nashville from $29,400 to $4,537. H. K. Allen Gets Nebraska House Grand Island, Neb. — Howard K. Allen, formerly with the Hoblitzelle circuit in Texas, has picked up the Island here and will open it within two weeks. House has been having a bad time and this is the fifth gent to operate it this year. Last was Sam Cohenscious, formerly of Fredericksburg, Pa. Pittsburgh Briefs Pittsburgh — Herman Lorence lost his lease on the Youngsville theater, Youngsville, Pa. House is now being operated by Blatt Brothers, owners of a western Pennsylvania circuit, who have changed the name to the State. Lorence moved to Chatteraugas, N. Y., where he will open a house July 1. Art Mix, a Film Row visitor, peddling six western pictures, three of which have already been finished. Joe Gellman, treasurer1 of the M. P. T. O. of Western Pennsylvania and owner of the Plaza in Duquesne, is the father of a daughter. George W. Collins of the Republic exchange became a grandfather last week. Sam Reichblum closed his West End theater in Uniontown, Pa. William H. Virgin opened the newly decorated McClure theater here this week. Walter Freudenberger, formerly with National Screen Service, and Derek Sydney, are now furnishing theaters with Master Art Products lobby displays. New England Notes Boston — Ernest Comi has returned to the sales staff of the National Theater Supply and will cover western Massachusetts. The M. & P. Theaters has taken over the Laurier Theater, Woonsocket, R. I., from Charles Williams. Andre Dumonceau, vice-president of France Film, Inc., and Charles M. Kaplan of the same organization are visiting with George Kraska of the Fine Arts Theater and are arranging playing time for French films in cities that have a large French population in New England. Division manager, H. M. Addison of the Loew theaters has the lobbies of the State and Orpheum decorated with beautiful trees, to give the houses a cool summer atmosphere combined with the air conditioning. Liberty Final Release Dates Set Liberty's "Born to Gamble," featuring Onslow Stevens, H. B. Warner, Maxine Doyle, Eric Linden and Lois Wilson has been set for release July 10. "The Old Homestead," with Mary Carlisle, Lawrence Gray, Dorothy Lee, Willard Robertson and Eddie Nugent, will be generally released Aug. 10. These are the last releases on the current Liberty program. » DATE BOOK to Today: Detroit Variety Club annual golf tournament, Detroit. Today: Convention of West Virginia exhibitors, Greenbrier Hotel, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Today: Kansas-Missouri Theater Ass'n annual convention, President Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. June 29: M. & p. Cricuit home office outing, Mayflower Hotel, Plymouth, Mass. June 29: Omaha Variety Club dinner-dance, Omaha, Neb. July 1-3: Columbia Pictures annual sales convention, Chicago. July 8-11: United Artists sales convention, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles. July 19: S. M. P. E. meeting and nomination of officers, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York. Aug. 5: National Independent Allied Theater Day, 25 per cent of receipts going to Allied war chest. Aug. 11-13: Southeastern Theater Owners Ass'n convention, Jacksonville Beach, Fla. Michigan Exhibs Form Film Trucking Ass'n Detroit — Joseph A. Smith, president of Exhibitors Truck Service, has been appointed general manager of Independent Theater Owners, Inc., formed to handle film trucking north of Detroit. More than 25 theaters have joined already. The organization will not function at present either as a circuit or trade association, however, Smith said. He stated that he had been unable to secure a separate public utilities permit for film trucking north of Detroit, hence formation of the new company. Officers, all theater owners, are: William C. Cassidy, Midland, president; William Kentz, Bay City, vice-president; Stanley J. Marz, Saginaw, secretary-treasurer. Directors are Harold Bernstein, Bay City; Roy Beechler, St. Johns; James Crist, Albert Zuehlke, and George C. Marr, Saginaw; Ethel Gibbs, Ithaca; Richard Ingram, Flint; and Lee Ward, Mount Pleasant. Seven Republic Exchanges Get 4 Liberty Films Republic exchanges serving upper New York, metropolitan New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D. C, territories will place in immediate distribution four recent productions of the current Liberty program, according to Budd Rogers, Liberty sales manager. They are "Dizzy Dames," "Born to Gamble," "The Old Homestead" and "Without Children." Three additional exchanges covering Pittsburgh, New England, Ohio and Kentucky will likewise release this quartet of features, with the exception that "Without Children" will be replaced by "Swe^ " stake Annie." \ J Hold "Doubting Thomas" Portland, Ore. — Fox's "Doubting Thomas" holds for a second week at the Paramount.