The Film Daily (1938)

w< DAILY Thursday, June 2, 1938 20THCENT.-F0XPACT WITH TEGHNI. ELASTIC {Continued from Page 1) privileged to make an indefinite number of pictures; first announcement called for six pictures to be made within three years. Definite plans for a picture on the English program to be made in Technicolor have not been set yet, Zanuck also disclosed. It was said by the exec, that the budget range for the 27 "A" pictures which the company will produce next season is $600,000 to $1,800,000. "Alexander's Ragtime Band", recently completed, represents the peak investment while "Jesse James" and "Kentucky", both to be produced in Technicolor, will cost well over $1,000,000 apiece. Zanuck personally is taking over a print of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" for several private showings. Zanuck said that he will hold two business meetings while abroad, one in London and one in Paris. He also said that he expected to look over the company's English production facilities. Sidney R. Kent, Joseph M. Schenck, Charles E. McCarthy, Walter J. Hutchinson, Leslie Whalen, Earl Wing'art, Joseph Moskowitz and William Dover were among those at the boat to bid Zanuck bon voyage. Schenck said he planned to leave for Europe about July 1. Peskay Named President of Canadian Grand Natl (Continued from Page 1) son takes over the post of comptroller. In increasing his holdings in the Canadian company, Allen stated yesterday that he has a plan which will permit the branch managers to participate in the operation of the organization, not only through stock holdings but also through an insurance plan. With the exception of the addition of two salesmen, the personnel of the Canadian company remains intact. It was announced yesterday that GN will deliver 52 pictures, with details to be announced at the Company's convention to be held late in June in Hollywood. The Canadian company will hold sales meetings in Montreal and Calgary early in July. Op< >erate on DeBra Arthur DeBra, assistant to Carl E. Milliken, secretary of MPPDA, was reported to be progressing favorably yesterday in Mount Vernon Hospital, where he underwent an appendectomy on Tuesday afternoon. College Color Pix Millsaps, Miss. — The State College here has completed a five-reel color film showing activities on the campus and in the classroom. Work was done by Harcol Films of New Orleans. REVIEWS Of DEW flLfllS "The Devil's Party" with Victor McLaglen, William Gargan, Beatrice Roberts Universal 65 Mins. GANGSTER DRAMA GOES SENTIMENTAL BUT PRODUCES FAIR AMOUNT OF THRILLS. Quite a sentimental story of the gangster and reform school variety, for this one starts with a bunch of under-privileged children over on Eleventh Ave. in the old Hell's Kitchen district of New York, and shows how they start toward being criminals, but when one of them lands in a reformatory, the others go straight and become policemen, priests and respectable night club entertainers. The lad who took the rap for a prank that resulted in burning a warehouse turns out to be Victor McLaglen when grown up, and now he is the prosperous owner of the night club where Beatrice Roberts is the featured singer. Paul Kelly becomes a priest, William Gargan and John Gallaudet, as brothers, have joined the police force and are attached to the emergency squad with ambitions to become detectives. Then fate starts to play tricks by bringing these former boy and girl pals into a situation that makes one appear the murderer of another. McLaglen sends two of his strongarm men to muss up a gambler who welches on a gambling debt. They accidentally kill him, and makes it appear accidental entirely by having a heavy electric sign fall over his body on the pent house roof. Gallaudet suspects a murder, goes back to the scene of the crime and catches the two gangsters trying to conceal evidence of violence. He is killed by one of the gangsters. Then through a double-cross of this murderer, McLaglen is put in the position of the criminal in the eyes of the other brother, who starts out to revenge himself for the other's death. And so into complications that finally cost the life of the night club proprietor in expiation of his part in the misdeeds of his hired thugs. It is all very far-fetched and sentimental, and McLaglen, Gargan, Kelly and Beatrice Roberts do wonders with their synthetic parts. Director Ray McCarey made it all sound almost logical, which is saying a great deal for his ability. CAST: Victor McLaglen, William Gargan, Paul Kelly, Beatrice Roberts, Frank Jenks, John Gallaudet, Samuel S. Hinds, Joseph Downing, Arthur Hoyt, David Oliver, Ed Gargan, Gordon Elliott. CREDITS: Director, Ray McCarey; Author, Borden Chase; Screenplay, Roy Chanslor. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Okay. Paul Poole Dead Syracuse, N. Y. — Paul Poole, 51, veteran showman and at one time a Keith Circuit booker, is dead here, following an emergency appendectomy. His widow and a brother survive. "Crime School" Stays Third Warners' "Crime School" stays at the Fabian Fox Theater for a third week starting tomorrow. * SHORTS * "You Leave Me Breathless" (Screen Songs) Paramount 8 mins. Novelty A combination of cartoon skits and actual photography, showing Jimmy Dorsey and his ork. The idea is to show what the television sets of the future will display. The cartoon skits cover some gags such as a shower-bath type street cleaning apparatus, a fountain of youth operating in Turkey, chill-proof overcoats for Eskimos, football player harnessed up with a stove, invention for a cow to mow a lawn and feed at the same time. Then the television set brings in Jimmy Dorsey and his band. Bob Eberle is the vocalist, singing the theme song, "You Leave Me Breathless." The film finishes with another cartoon skit, presenting the modern trend in caring for infants by mechanical contraptions. "Going Places" Universal 10 '4 mins. Interesting Travelogue New Brunswick, a land of picturesque beauty with an interesting historical background, provides the setting for this new travelogue. Lowell Thomas gives a fine narration. It was here that the British Royalists fled when the Revolution started, bringing their houses piece by piece from the States in some instances. There are still cannon and old blockhouses standing that are reminders of the war. The fishing industry is shown as are the peaceful farm lands tilled by the descendants of the original settlers. There are some interesting wild life shots and we also see the home of the noted nature poet, Bliss Carman. Unusual Occupations (No. L-7— 6) Paramount 10 mins. Interesting Oddities Presents a wide diversity of unusual occupations, starting with a man who has commercialized the use of butterfly-wings, using them for various femme adornments, the wings being chemically treated. A couple in Texas with plenty of money and time on their hands, have their own private circus, complete in every detail, the man and wife training and handling all the animal performers. The only woman jiu-jitsu teacher. A woman who prepares poultry wishbones for ornaments. The coster-mongers of London, working on their elaborate costumes sewn all over with pearl button designs. The final clip is of Reginald Denny and his hobby that has grown into a profitable business, building accurate scale models of the modern aircraft. Done in Cinecolor. TAMPA BANK NIGHT TRIAL CONTINUED Tampa, Fla.— The Sparks Theater, at the bank night hearing in Circuit Court yesterday, denied that bank night, screeno and qu^tion box review wei'e gambling, (fs ^ter H. Ferguson, Tampa attorney,8' who brought the suit in his own behalf, seeking to enjoin the theater from holding bank night, countered that the drawing as held at the Tampa and Victory Theaters here definitely violate the gambling laws and further charged that they violate the constitution of the State of Florida prohibiting the operation of lotteries which are punishable by a fine or prison sentence. These defendants, he stated, are not guilty of a misdemeanor but of a felony by holding the so-called business stimulator. After listening to lengthy citations of other bank night and theater giveaway cases in other states, Jud?e Parks continued the hearing until Thursday of next week. Ferguson seeks to stop bank night and screeno both as a public nuisance and as gambling. Well, It's an Idea London (By Cable) — A. de Bois Shrosbree, chairman of Humayan Properties., Ltd., Calcutta, now in London selecting films for showing in India, announces a project for Calcutta whereby patrons of the New Empire Theater, if they do not like the pix offered, may for the one admission walk across a bridge to the new Lighthouse Theater to be constructed adjoining the New Empire and see the program in that house. Empire Universal Films Opens Toronto Meeting Toronto — Annual sales meeting of Empire Universal Films, Canadian distributors of Republic Pictures' product, opens here today and concludes on Saturday night. Oscar Hanson, EUF president, will preside, and Arthur W. Perry, organization's manager, is also slated to attend and play an important part in the three-day sessions. Herbert J. Yates president of Consolidated Film Industries, and overseer of Republic's policies, is expected to arrive here tomorrow from New York, accompanied by James R. Grainger, vice-president in charge of distribution for Republic and its genei-al manager, to be present at the Friday and Saturday conclaves. Republic's home office stated yesterday that the plans of Herbert J. Yates and James R. Grainger to 'eave for Toronto tonight for the sales meeting of Empire Universal Films have been abandoned to make it possible for both executives to be present at the funeral services of John D. Clark, 20th Centurv-Fox sales chief, who died yesterday morning in Montclair, N. J.