The Film Daily (1933)

i Hiday, July 24, 1933 DAILY IAYS, ALLIED PLEDGE /YORK PLAN SUPPORT (.Continued from Page 1) untarily into line regardless of hnical questions of jurisdiction ler the Recovery Act and by urg-" theaters to make their screens liable for dissemination of aurized information concerning the ve. The emergency employment camJgn is to extend from Aug. 1 to 31, with maximum working ars and minimum pay for both ite collar workers and others, and ers has advised Allied exhibitors bough employment conditions in aters have no possible relation to effect upon interstate commerce, I hence there is no power under Recovery Act to compel a theaowner to observe the proposed ndards of wages and working irs, all theaters should take steps comply with the President's ;hes for the following reasons: ^irst — As a matter of patriotism 'jit is obvious that the depression ')not be lifted without the united 1 unstinted efforts of all business ;n under the leadership of PresiIjt Roosevelt. 'Second — As a matter of self-presation since the publicity and ypaganda to be released will confute a thinly-veiled blacklisting of employers who do not get in step h the program. [Tie President has, in effect, died all workers into two classes, , white collar workers and me* mical workers. The first category ludes ticket sellers, doormen. iers, bookers, elevator conductors L, and managers receiving $35 a gk or under. Whether operators, gehands and electricians are "sere employees" under the first catey or "mechanical workers" undei second is not clear and Allied :js asked for a ruling on this, alugh it is not important as emf j jyees of the latter class already ri'eive pay over the minimum and v rk hours equivalent to or under '.' maximum in most localities. Working hours for the white coli ' class must not be more than 40 r irs in any one week; mechanical ■tes: Not more than 35 hours a >ak, except that they may work 40 nfcrs for six weeks within the peiid, but not more than eight hours i'any one day. Che foregoing applies to all esf'lishments employing two or more I .'sons, except, that it does not i ply to establishments employing ; more than two persons in towns cless than 2,500. Other exceptions . . Say Films Deter Crime | Charlotte — North Carolina prisoners say motion pictures have been a determent rather than an encouragement to icrime. "The Prison News." official (publication in the North Carolina State penitentiary, recently questioned the prisoners on this point and nearly all (votes were cast for motion pictures as iflan aid in fighting crime. Good Pictures and Good Entertainment By DENNIS R. SMITH Amusement Editor, "Canton Repository," Canton, 0. /"^ERTAINLY the main purpose of a picture is to give entertainment and if it accomplishes this it has accomplished its aim. To deserve commendation and support, however, it must provide this entertainment without violating the rules of decency, without bringing needless offense to anyone of normal tastes and without going into vulgarity or immorality for the mere sensational appeal which such material is supposed to have. Objectionable matter sometimes appears in unexpected places. Last week Canton saw one of the Walt Disney "Silly Symphonies" which top the whole field of cartoon artistry but it burlesqued the Biblical story of Noah and the flood so broadly that it contained an affront to persons who consider such things above travesty. Good pictures and good entertainment are not necessarily synonymous. "Reunion in Vienna" and "Strange Interlude" were splendid pictures, brilliantly written and expertly played but they were not especially good entertainment because the subject material is not of the kind which holds general appeal. In this regard the screen differs radically from the stage which directs its appeal to a select class while the pictures must draw from the great mass with its interesting cross section of divergent tastes. Some pictures are fortunate enough to achieve greatness both in their intrinsic worth and in their entertainment. "State Fair," "Smilin' Through," "Cynara," and "The Working Man" reach this distinction. "Me and My Gal," "Parole Girl," "No More Orchids" and "Private Jones" were not great pictures but they were good entertainment and therefore to be commended. The problem of producing a picture which will be equally pleasing to the sophisticates of the big cities and the family trade of the outlying towns has always been one of the things to make film executives turn gray prematurely. The attitude of reviewers in the key centers has been especially trying to the industry. Frequently they have gone into raves over films which held practically no hope of success for general showing while snubbing the clean and human films which bring the greatest response from the general public. It is this department's policy to value films almost entirely on their quality as entertainment, holding to the opinion that patrons are not greatly concerned in the psychological problems involved excepting as they affect the dramatic development of the story. On this basis "Zoo in Budapest" should rate as high as the same producers' "Cavalcade," "Evenings For Sale" has more general appeal than "A Farewell to Arms" and "Fast Life" will give real entertainment to more people than "Strange Interlude." When it comes time to nominate the year's best films other measures must be employed in making the valuations for "Cavalcade," "Farewell" ■and "Strange Interlude" are incomparably the better pictures from every technical point of view but in attempting to give readers a current impression as to how well they will be entertained, the smaller and less important pictures deserve at least equal rating for, in the final summation they have accomplished their purpose of bringing wholesome and pleasant amusement which, after all, is the reason why pictures are born. do not affect theaters and, therefore, need not be mentioned. Children under 16 may not be employed, except that children between 16 and 14 may be employed (but not in mechanical or manufacturing industries) for three hours a day between 7 A. M. and 7 P. M., provided it does not interfere with school. In the matter of wages, white collar class, minimum pay is to be $15 a week in cities over 500,000 or in immediate trade areas; $14.50 in cities between 250,000 and 500,000 or i.t.a.; $14.00 in cities between 2,500 and 250,000 and i.t.a.; and in towns of less than 2,500 an increase in wages of not less than 20 per cent provided that this shall not require a wage in excess of $12 per week. Mechanical class: Minimum pay 40 cents per hour unless the hourly rate for the same class of work on July 15, 1929, was less than 40 cents, in which case the rate shall be not less than the hourly rate on that date, but in no event less than 30 cents per hour. Wages now paid in excess of such minima are not to be reduced. Theater owners will receive from the postman or other functionary a form of agreement between themselves and the President which they will be expected to sign, pledging themselves to the foregoing program of wages and hours and other matters which need not be mentioned here. The signing of these agreements will entitle the theater owners to obtain from their postmasters signs, posters, badges (believe it or not!) attesting that they are cooperating in the emergency campaign. The theater owner who does not equip himself with these trappings may find himself in a worse position than the merchant with a German name during the war. Plan Longer Shorts As Second Feature (Continued from Page 1) films. These will be sold in block. The first, a dog and bear story titled "Sandy," is ready. The second, "The Jewels of Baboulah," and the third. "Sin Ship," are now being completed. DIRECTION: S. GREGORY TAYLOR These Celebrated Film Stars Make THE ST. MORITZ On-the-Park Their New York Home Greta Garbo Joan Blondell Joan Crawford Estelle Taylor Racquel Torres Gilda Gray Judith Anderson Gloria Stewart Alice White Lil Dagover Edith Fitzgerald Edith Roake Philip Cook Phillips Holmes George Givot Monroe Owsley Nancy Carroll Gloria Swanson Ruth Roland Laura La Plante Lita Grey Chaplin Helen Twelvetrees June Clyde Billie Dove James Klrkwood Walter Slezak Douglas Montgomery Pat O'Brien Philip Lord Lotti Loder Cliff Hall Lanny Ross Maurice Chevalier Fifi D'Orsay Blanche Sweet Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Marion Marsh Borah Minnevitch Georges Carpentier Alexander Kirkland J. C. Flippen Richard Cromwell Chester Hale Lawrence Gray Jose Rubin Owen Moore Benny Rubin Ben Bard A WIRE WILL EFFECT A RESERVATION AND YOU WILL BE MET AT THE TRAIN ON YOUR ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK.