The Film Daily (1939)

DAILY Tuesday, December 19, 1939 "GULLIVER'S TRAVELS" CAPTURES MIAMI 'Continued from Page 1) classic became the second full-length feature cartoon to reach the screen. The picture started out to be Paramount's. It wound up becoming Miami's. The city built a three-day celebration around the affair that has set the town agog. Following the premiere itself, the crowd at the Sheridan went home, but the Colony was filled with the Miami Beach smart set and they went to the Roney Plaza Hotel for a brilliant "Gulliver's Travels Ball" of which the PTA milk fund was the beneficiary. At noon yesterday, key executives of Paramount and Fleischer Studios were guests of honor at a civic luncheon at which Mayor E. G. Sewell and John C. Hall, president of the Chamber of Commerce, made a frank bid for further motion picture production in competition with Mayor LaGuardia of New York. More than 200 civic leaders and officials gave Fleischer an ovation and applauded the pledges of Hall and Sewell that motion pictures will receive full co-operation from the Florida rescrt. Among Paramount notables at the luncheon were Stanton Griffis, Neil Agnew, Oscar Morgan, Lou Diamond, R. M. Gillham, and S. A. Lynch. The celebration of the premiere got under way Saturday when 35,000 people jammed the business district to witness the arrival of "Gulliver," an eight-foot giant, who appeared at several Miami stores and then helped judge Miami's first beauty contest. Sigrid Johnson was chosen as princess of Lilliput and Donna Maxer, Elsie Echardt, Anita McClaney, Elsie Parks, Audrey Mark, and Eloise Combs were chosen as ladies in waiting. All the girls are blondes and between ages of five and eight. Jack Cohn Back, Reports I Col. Production Booming (Continued from Page 1) tions, "His Girl Friday" and "Music In My Heart," also arrived yesterday on the Century from Hollywood. Cohn stated that work at the studio is "booming," with three other major films now in work and a number of other productions ready for early shooting. Sullivan Loses Fight to Dismiss Reade Suit New York Supreme Court Justice Philip J. McCook yesterday denied an application of Joseph T. P. Sullivan to dismiss a suit of Walter Reade for an accounting on the ground that it failed to state a cause of action. Reade claims breach of a contract under which he was allegedly to receive one-half the profits over and above $12,000 annually from operation of the City Theaters Co. 4L€NG TiiE WITH OHIL H. D/lLYi • • • PEACE the fact it's ours is the truly great gift this Xmos It's a grand and glorious circumstance that while so many eyes are looking out on No Man's Land ours are happily looking out on America which happens to be Every Man's Land An additionally welcome gift accrues from the calendar namely, the approaching three-day holiday It appears local pix folk will need it if they're to regain their balance from the mad biz and social whirl of this pre-Xmas week T T T • • • LAST night the merry, merry-go-round started off ... . right in high gear via the press preview at the Astor of "Gone With the Wind" Tonight "GWTW" has twin premieres at the Astor and the Capitol Tomorrow the big attraction on the agenda is the W. G. Van Schmus hosting in the Radio City Music Hall's Studio Apartment of "holiday libation" from five to seven p.m. in honor of Charles Laughton star of RKO Radio's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" T T ▼ • • • THURSDAY will see the whirl continue for in the p.m. cometh "to usher in the Christmas season" Paramount's cocktail and buffet party in the Rivoli Theater at five o'clock Co-host on the occasion will be Dudley Digges co-star with Ronald Colman and Walter Huston in Kipling's "The Light That Failed". . . . ▼ T T • • • IF their "handlers" say the boys are okay to go a few more "rounds" you'll find them on Friday at the Xmastide good-cheer "pardies" which are annual and institutional features along Film Row Friday will be Leon (.RKO) Bamberger's birthday which will command "time out" on the part of his pals for voicing personal greetings Another "time out" we intend to call is to have 'nother look-see at the Xmas decorations o'er Radio City way and try to find the guy who planned said decorations and award him this department's symbolic medal for merit the Order of Applause (with two palms) Besides the garlands and the giant Xmas tree in the Ice-skating Plaza this mysterious gent has arranged to have a lighted candle in each of the 566 East windows of the International building! T ▼ ▼ • • • AN added pre-Xmas attraction on our "must make it" list is the first metropolitan showing of the Jack Dempsey-Jess Willard heavyweight championship fight pix which will go into all RKO theaters throughout New York and Westchester on Thursday Although the slugfest occurred 'bout 20 years ago these official pix have never been shown publicly, 'tis averred If you like action here's it according to several who've had a look-see. T ▼ ▼ • • • JUNIOR field group of the National Board of Review has selected the 10 Best Pictures of 1939 up to Dec. 1 The kids are members of the i-Star Clubs and their ages range from nine to 17 years Result: "Good-bye, Mr. Chips," "The Old Maid," "Wuthering Heights," "Stanley and Livingstone," "Pygmalion," "The Wizard of Oz," "Dark Victory," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Drums Along the Mohawk" and "Beau Geste" WAR WILL NOT GUT 20TH-F0X'S LINEUP (Continued f.om Page 1) reducing the number of pictures the company would make to arcund 36 before the studio confabs started. Company's seasonal program^&nbraces 52 features. Tentative p5>duct lineup and budget for the '40-41 season were also on the agenda discussed at the studio. Kent said he would confer here with Robert T. Kane, English production head, on what the company would do in England next year, with final plans dependent on war developments. Mrs. Kent accompanied the 20thFox chieftain on his trip. "Patrol" to Interstate Dallas — Sack has set Alliance's "North Sea Patrol" with Interstate for 16 key first-runs. Richmond, Va. — The annual Christmas party of the Neighborhood Theaters Inc., home office will be held Saturday, with open house all day. Cleveland — The local Variety Club will hold its annual children's Christmas party Thursday when it will entertain 360 children. Albany — Metro's Albany exchange held its Christmas party at Kapp's Restaurant, Rensselaer, Monday night, Ralph Pielow, branch manager, presiding and Gene Vogel passing out the presents as Santa Claus. Cleveland — Milt Harris, Loew publicity director, has already set a leap year party to be held jointly by Loew's State Theater and the Statler Hotel. Those whose birthdays fall on Feb. 29th will be guests for dinner at the Statler Hotel and then proceed to Loew's State as guests of disrtict manager Col. Harry E. Long and resident manager Everett Steinbuck. Cincinnati — Maury White, president of United Theaters, and associate of Ike Libson, entertained all Film Row Bookers with a beef steak dinner at Hotel Alms Sunday. West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Burbank — Annual dinner-dance of the Warner Club has been set for Saturday evening, Feb. 17, at the Biltmore Bowl. Des Moines, la. — Officers and employes of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp., here held a Christmas party at Hotel Fort Des Moines with Stanley J. Mayer as host. Harry Gottlieb was Santa Claus. <<f « « » » » Cabaret TAC will mark New Year's Eve with a party and dance at Manhattan Center. Hiram Sherman will be the presiding officer.