The Film Daily (1941)

rrsday, April 17, 1941 V > SHORT SUBJECT R€VI€UIS :< \ San Francisco — Metropolis of the West" imbia 10 mins. Interesting Travelogue )duced by Andre De La Varre, '\.bject is highly interesting and Tifully photographed. A thorh tour of the great western sea;: is made in the subject, giving iences a first hand impression of city. The commentary is fine. "Fishing Made Easy" (Terry-Toon) n Century-Fox Good Cartoon k funny reel showing a ipetition between a cat will amuse audiences. The cat s the old-fashioned bent pin and ^'rras while the dude pig has a k on fishing lures and their antics comical. 7 mins. fishing and a * "Playing With Neptune" (Sports Review) h Century-Fox 9 mins. Up to Standard i\ not unusual compilation of aatic sports scenes featuring div•, water tobogganing, water base r 1 and aquaplaning. Folks seem to for this type of subject and this Ue is right up to standard. Nan-arc is by Ed Thorgersen. ".00,000 in Film Scripts •ought In By Pressburger , (Continued from Page 1) ' ect productions subsequent to his St, "The Shanghai Gesture," to be eased by UA, it was disclosed -terday by Pressburger at a trade ,ess luncheon staged at the Wal'rf-Astoria by UA. The Hungarian industry pioneer fed that some of the scripts repsented unproduced stories, while hers were hits which he had filmed road during his extended career Austria, Germany, England and •ance. To start production preliminaries, essburger, who heads Arnold ■eductions, Inc., leaves tomorrow r the Coast. He will be accommied by Albert De Courville, who ill be his associate producer on The Shanghai Gesture," and Theo•re Baumfeld, former member of t N. Y. Curb Exchange Board, ho has joined the new company as easurer. "The Shanghai Gesture," rights which were acquired from Lee r.ubert, is slated for Fall release, id may be roadshown, according to ressburger. Basic plot of John olton is retained in the Geza Hercig screenplay, but the latter exanded, goes far beyond the play's :tion to picture present-day China. "Caribbean Sentinel" (Magic Carpet) 20th Century-Fox 10 mins. Puerto Rican Review Highlighting the importance of Puerto Rico in the Panama Canal defenses, this subject is a pictorial review of the territory showing the various local industries and tropical scenes. Additional shots of the U. S. Army and Air Service encampments are shown as the narration explains the future key position of the island in the Caribbean bases setup now under construction on U. S. and British possessions. "The Spirit of 1941" Columbia 10 mins. Interesting Subject Dealing with the United States Civil Service Commission and its employment program, this reel stresses the fact that the workers in defense industries are just as important as the soldiers in the field. It depicts many phases of the national defense program. The material used is well chosen and well presented. Basil Ruysdael provides the commentary. "The Home Guard" (Terry-Toon) 20th Century-Fox 7 mins. Good Technicolor Reel Gandy the goose joins up with the home guard and in a fast, colorful subject manages to single-handedly turn back a vulture attack on the barnyard. It's a good Technicolor reel. "When Knights Were Bold" (Terry-Toon) 20th Century-Fox 7 mins. Amusing Number The adventures of Robin Hood as he fights to rescue his gal from the king who would marry her to the idiot prince make up an amusing subject. Seems that the king is broke and needs the prince's money to refurbish the treasury but Robin Hood manages to save his light of love and they escape. Metro Withdraws Shirley Temple West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Metro has withdrawn Shirley Temple from "Barnacle Bill" in which she was to appear with Wallace Beery and has substituted Virginia Weidler. Whoopine; cough was said to be the reason. Upon her recovery, Shirley will join Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in "Babes On Broadway." Republic Suspends Judy Canova West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Republic, which has a five-year contract with Judy Canova, has suspended her from salary for refusing to appear in "Puddin' Head." The company refused to grant her demand that she approve the scenario, the supporting cast and director, and a contractual amendment, according to the studio. "The Miracle of Hydro" (Magic Carpet) 20th Century-Fox 10 mins. Worth While Subject A documentary-type film reviewing the Columbia river area and showing how the Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams will rejuvenate the territory through electric power and irrigation. Folks with vague notions of what these often-mentioned dams mean to the country will come away from this subject with a clear picture of their possibilities. Film shows how the area, once a great lumber country but now cleared of its timber, is expected to come back as a mining, agricultural and manufacturing territory — all through power and water secured by damming the wild Columbia river. Subject is easily worth the 10 minutes' screen time it takes to run. Narration is by Lowell Thomas. "So You Think You Know Music" Columbia 11 mins. Musical Quiz Hendrik Willem Van Loon, Col. Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle, Jessica Dragonette and Sir Hubert Wilkins pit their musical knowledge against a series of brain teasers in this quiz reel. Musical numbers are played, others are suggested by items of clothing and so forth. The experts do very well. "The Jungle Archer" Columbia 11 mins. Fair Sport Reel Tex Stone, a well known archer, and his wife, are depicted on a Mexican hunting trip. Stone kills a wild pig, better known in that country as a peccary or Javelina, and then goes after bigger game in the shape of a mountain lion. He also gets the lion. The commentator states that a mountain lion is also known by several other names, and is sometimes called a "bob-cat," which crack should be good for a lot of laughs. Mrs. Stone is also seen in the reel. On the whole, it is pretty dull as it has all been done before and done better. "Black Eyes and Blues" Columbia 16 1/2 mins. Very Unfunny Comedy Despite the best efforts of several competent players, including Roscoe Karns and Don Beddoe, this comedy attempt falls flatter than the cutting room floor. There are about three laughs in the picture, and that is a woefully deficient quotient in a tworeel job. Story concerns Karns and his wife, who is divorcing him, with complications provided by a wrestler and his wife who go to Reno for a honeymoon. Producer-director was Jules White. Subscribers of THE FILM DAILY are now receiving their copies of the most important and most valuable book of information published in and about the motion picture industry — THE 1941 FILM DAILY YEAR BOOK