The Film Daily (1942)

10 "3*£? Tuesday, October 27, 1942 RKO's "Navy" Pit Debuts in Frisco San Francisco— RKO's "The Navy Comes Through" will be the opening attraction at the dedication of the new Treasure Island Theater at the Navy base, Treasure Island, San Francisco, today. Players who will arrive today for the opening include George Murphy, Jane Wyatt, Jackie Cooper, Max Baer, Desi Arnaz, featured in "The Navy Comes Through." Also in the party will be Leon Errol, Ginny Simms, Harold Peary (The Great Gildersleeve), and possibly James Craig. Several young players from the studio will also attend, including Joan Barclay, Ariel Heath, Ann Summers and Mary Jane Halsey. Consolidate 3 Hearings On Film Exchange Cases A motion by the IATSE to consolidate pending hearings on film exchange cases in New York was granted by the NLRB yesterday. The occasion was the second formal hearing on the collective bargaining petition filed by the Screen Office and Professional Employes Guild, Local 109, UOPWA, in behalf of white collarites at the 20th-Fox exchange. The board's action met with the approval of SOPEG. Two other cases are now pending. They involve white-collar workers at the Loew's and United Artists exchanges. All three involve the same points. The three cases will be heard together for the first time tomorrow. It was learned yesterday that the board was making an attempt to bring 20th-Fox and the union representatives together to determine the question of eligibility of voters. — Scrap Socks Japs — "Panama Hattie" As Tab. Set for Boston Break-in Decision to present the stage musical "Panama Hattie" in tabloid form in the presentation houses has been reached by George White. The nation-wide tour will start at the RKO Palace in Boston the latter part of November. — Scrap Socks Japs — "Gentleman Jim" Out Nov. 14 Warners has set Nov. 14 as the national release date for "Gentleman Jim," which is being tradeshown Thursday. Pre-release engagements of the picture will get under way this week-end. "The Hard Way," originally set for release Nov. 14, will be given a later date on the schedule. — Scrap Socks Japs — Gallegos Novel as Mex. Pic Caracas (By Air Mail — Passed by Censor) — Romulo Gallegos, probably the best known Venezuelan novelist, will leave for Mexico City Friday to supervise filming of his "Dona Barbara." REVIEWS Of "The Living Ghost" with James Dunn, Joan Woodbury Monogram 61 Mins. (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) MYSTERY THRILLER FALLS BELOW PAR LARGELY DUE TO FAULTY CHARACTERIZATION. As mystery thrillers go, "The Living Ghost" will just about pass muster as filler material in the lower brackets. Basic fault of the thriller seems to evolve from a too glib interpretation of the famous Nick Trayne characterization which causes James Dunn to carry through the central role of the detective in a too facetious manner, thereby losing much of the "heavy thrill" possibilities which the orignial story frame seems to provide. Story deals with a new twist in "how to get control of the family money" just short of murder by the insertion of a new fluid which paralyzes the brain leaving a human corpse afoot. Engineered by the supposedly dutiful wife and her old friend in order to gain control of the family fortune, which has been willed to the arbitrary step-daughter, killings take place in order to cover-up the initial deed. Called in to unravel the case, James Dunn proceeds to casually do so. Joan Woodbury, secretary to the paralyzed Walter Craig, soon ensnares Dunn in a romantic web, ending in the usual picture clinch after several thrilling sequences which lead to the final denouement. CAST: James Dunn, Joan Woodbury, Paul McVey, Vera Gordon, Norman Willis, J. Farrell MacDonald, Minerva Urecal, George Eldridge, Jan Wiley, Edna Johnson, Danny Beck, Gus Glassmire, Lawrence Grant, Howard Banks, J. Arthur Young, Frances Richards, Harry Depps. CREDITS: Producer, A. W. Hackel; Production Manager, Ben Gutterman; Director, William Beaudine; Author, Howard Dimsdale; Screenplay, Joseph Hoffman; Cameraman, Mack Stengler; Editor, Jack Ogilvie; Sound, Glen Glenn; Musical Director, Frank Sanucci. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fair. Reddy Burial in Westboro Burial services were held in Westboro, Mass., yesterday for Frank Reddy who, for 20 years, was the receptionist at the MPPDA offices. Reddy, who was 68, died of a heart attack at his home in Jackson Heights Thursday night. Will Hays and members of the staff attended the services for Reddy in New York Saturday. Reddy joined the MPPDA staff in 1922, shortly after the association was founded. — Scrap Socks Japs — Dinner Honors Ollie Brooks Detroit — All exchanges were reprepresented in the 150 local filmites who honored Ollie Brooks, of W. S. Butterfield Theaters, Inc., with a farewell bachelor dinner, Friday at the Variety Club. Speakers included Earl Hudson, United Detroit Theaters; Charles Perry, Adams Theater, and Ray Branch, Allied Theaters of Michigan. Brooks received a sterling silver service from the group. II6UJ f ILniS A11 Studios Making Quality Pix-Eyssell * SHORTS * "The Good Job" (A Miniature) M-G-M 11 Mins. Superb Reel This is William Saroyan's initial directorial job and is based on his own short story, "A Number of the Poor." Reel is very appealing and rich in human interest, for it deals throughout with the most interesting things on earth, — human beings. Locale is a little corner store in a poor section. The clerk finds his job therein the best he ever had, for the reason that he meets with and talks to all kinds of people. Saroyan shows you the types and projects their behavior. There is really no story as stories go, but nevertheless there is so much told via simple exposition of the people. There are all too few shorts like this one. The footage makes you think and gives something so real and yet so intangible to take away with you. "The Good Job" is all that its title implies, and authordirector Saroyan, it is hoped, will always make gems equal to it. "Information Please" (No. 11) RKO 10 Mins. Okay This time John Kieran, Oscar Levant and Franklin P. Adams have Russel Crouse as their visiting expert. The usual humorous remarks are mixed with the cerebral exercises. Clifton Fadiman invades a variety of fields for his questions. Some of them are on the silly side just for laughs. This is no better and no worse than the others in the series. "The Film That Was Lost" (Passing Parade) M-G-M 10 Mins. Splendid Subject It took the astute, velvet-voiced John Nesbitt to give both the motion picture industry and the public this subject which crystallizes the story back of the founding of the Museum of Modern Art's Film Library. By so doing, Nesbitt demonstrates that in its constant search for appropriate stories, filmland overlooks what should be perfectly obviou* material of merit. "The Film That Was Lost" is that, and more, because it is excellent, unique entertainment. It traces the origin and advance of the motion picture as that medium, all along the route, narticularly via newsreels. captured history. But, tragically, it dawned upon the Museum's founding fathers that such celluloid-recorded history was perishing because film deteriorated slowlv but surely over a span of some 20 years, and, at the end of that time could not be shown. So, the Museum's Film Library was born to eliminate such destruction. Now it periodically reprints rare his (Continued from Page 1) spending 10 days in Hollywood. Eyssell said that he was impressed by the feverish activity of the studios both from the standpoint of turning out entertainment and ernment films. Contrary to repd __ he said, the studios are not cone! trating too much on war themes, but are trying to produce programs of variety. "From what I saw in production and in the screening rooms," Eyssell asserted, "the box-office is beinggiven whole-hearted attention and this should be a banner season for good pictures. The studios are doing an excellent job despite the handicaps of manpower loss." Next picture to go into the Music Hall will be RKO's "Once Upon a Honeymoon." torical footage so that the ages to come may see motion pictures of history-makers such as Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt; William Jennings Bryan, Queen Victoria, George V, et al, and events such as the launching of the Maine, the World War's declaration, the Armistice, etc. These and a number of other memorable scenes are actually shown in "The Film That Was Lost." This short is, on all counts, one of the most intriguing reels yet made in filmland. It merits exhibition in every outlet. "A Band Is Born" (Famous Bands) Columbia 10 Mins. Okay The Hal Mclntyre orchestra gives out with plenty of stuff to satisfy the young folk. Performing at the Glen Island Casino in Westchester, Mclntyre and his lads come through with a number of popular compositions, among them "The Memory of This Dance," "This Is the Story of a Starry Night" and "Take a Tip, Button Up Your Lip." The vocalizing is done by Carl Denny and Penny Parker. "Screen Snapshots" (No. 3— Series 22) Columbia 9 Mins. All Right This item is in the nature of a radio broadcast, the performers being Jack Benny, Eddie (Rochester) Anderson, Mary Livingstone, Dennis Day, Phil Harris and his band. The scene is Camp Haan, California. Others taking part in the fun-making are Murray Bolen, Bill Morrow and Ed Beloin. The gags won't send you into stitches, though they are acceptable. The short is too) static to gain wide acceptance. McCabe Replaces Condon When Bob Condon leaves for the Army this week he will be succeeded in the 20th-Fox publicity department by Thomas McCabe, who has been handling exploitation kits for the field staff. Howard Pearl takes over McCabe's duties.