The Film Daily (1933)

THE sgBfr* DAILV Wednesday, July 26, A Little from "Lots" By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD EDWARD G. ROBINSON, after a rest following completion of "1 Loved a Woman," will start work in "Dark Hazard" and then "Napoleon: His Life and Loves," First National announces. * * * Preston Foster's contract has been renewed following completion of his work in the Fox production, "The Man Who Dared." * * * Lou Ostrow has assigned Edwin L. Marin to direct "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi," Monogram college picture, which is to be produced under the supervision of W. T. Lackey. George Waggner is preparing the screen play. * * * Jesse L. Lasky has signed Helen Chandler for the second leading role in "The Worst Woman in Paris?" which features Adolphe Menjou, Benita Hume and Harvey Stephens. Monta Bell wrote and is directing the story. * * * John Miljan, who appeared in Maurice Chevalier's first American film, "Innocents of Paris," was reunited with the star this week when Paramount signed him for a role in "The Way To Love." Miljan joins a cast of sixteen well-known players, among them Sylvia Sidney, Edward Everett Horton, Arthur Pierson, Minna Gombell, Blanche Friderici, Sidney Toler, Billy Bevan and Grace Bradley. Office in Calcutta Is Opened by RKO RKO's new branch sales office in Calcutta, India, was opened last week with Reginald Armour, former RCA-Victor executive, in charge. It is the only RKO-operated sales office on the continent. Distribution arrangements with local sales companies have been made in every continental country except Norway, Ambrose "Bo" Dowling told The Film Daily yesterday. Regarding the German situation, Dowling said, "We shall continue to distribute through Tobis in Germany with between six and ten American pictures sure of release. 'King Kong' will receive complete coverage not only in Germany but in every country with the exception of Norway." "Roxy" Books Wiley Post Wiley Post, world flier, was signed yesterday by S. L. "Roxy" Rothafel to appear at the Radio City Music Hall for the week starting tomorrow. Post will be introduced by a series of newsreel shots of his flight and interviewed from the stage. Madge Bellamy in "THE RIOT SQUAD" Mayfair 64 mins. WEAK YARN OF COPS AND GANGSTERS IS JUST SUITABLE AS A FILLER FOR SMALL HOUSES. This gangster story has a very rambling yarn filled with a lot of incidental detail that gets nowhere in particular. It fails to develop any real punch or action till practically the last half of the final reel. Most of the footage is given over to the personal squabbling of two detectives who are good friends at heart but always ragging each other and trying to cut each ether out in the affections of a girl of a rather shady reputation. The part is acted by Madge Bellamy, the moll of the gangster chief, who plays both the dicks for suckers in order to further the interests of the gangster who is frying to save his gambling pal from the electric chair for a murder. So the yarn rambles on ineffectually to the finale, when the two police boys get together and corral the entire gang with the help of the riot squad. Pretty loose construction in story, direction ordinary and characterization of the two cops the best part of the film. Cast: Madge Bellamy, Pat O'Malley, James Flavin, Addison Richards, Harrison Greene, Ralph Lewis, Alene Carroll, Bee Eddels, Charles De La Motte, Kit Guard. Director, Harry Webb; Authors, Jack Natteford, Barney Sarecky; Editor, Fred Bain; Cameraman, Roy Overbaugh. Direction, Weak. Photography, Fair. Rex Bell in "FIGHTING TEXANS" Monogram 55 mins. UP TO AVERAGE WESTERN WITH ENOUGH ACTION AND LAUGHS TO PLEASE THE FANS. Action and comedy are well sprinkled in this story of a supposedly dry oil well which comes through. The plot is breezy and should satisfy the western fans. Rex Bell is a haberdashery shop salesman who is fired for getting fresh with a customer and talks himself into the job of oil stock salesman in a Texas town. The former salesman had been unable to get rid of the stock, but Rex breezes into town and soon has the people buying. The crooked promoter then decides to stop drilling on the well, which he figures is dry. Just before they turn off the machinery the foreman discovers oil sand. In the meantime the townsfolk have found out that work is being stopped and they arrest Bell. The sheriff is shot and Bell is accused of this. He escapes, finds out about the pay sand and manages to bring in the well with dynamite before the posse catches him, at the same time exposing the one who shot the sheriff. Cast: Rex Bell, Luana Walters, Betty Mack, Gordon DeMain, Lafe McKee, Al Bridge, George Nash, George Hayes, Wally Wales, Yakima Canutt, Anne Howard. Director, Armand Schaefer; Author, Wellyn Totman; Cameraman, Archie Stout; Recording Engineer, John A. Stransky, Jr. Direction, Good. Photography, Good. "Hooks and Jabs" with Harry Langdon and Vernon Dent (Mermaid Comedy) Educational-Fox 20 mins. Good Gags Harry Langdon plays the part of a goof who wanders into a tough beer joint and gets himself in wrong with Vernon Dent, the proprietor. The latter is managing a prize fighter on the side, and Dent sends Langdon in for a bout. The comedian knocks the pug cold on a fluke, and immediately becomes a great guy with all hands among the assembled pluguglies. But soon they discover that Langdon is only a phoney, and the film winds up in a free-for-all fight. Moves fast, with some highly original gags. It should please generally. "Beneath Our Feet" (Battle for Life Series) Educational-Fox 8 mins. Insect Drama One of the series of studies of insect life under the microscope, showing the tiny animals in their bitter struggle for survival. Very fine photography, with some unusual studies of the spider that builds a trap door, encounters to the death between various insects, etc. A narration by Gayne Whitman explains everything in the popular manner. Andy Clyde in "Dora's Dunking Doughnuts" Educational-Fox 21 mins. Scores Good Andy Clyde comedy, with the comic promoting a radio program to get publicity for his girl friend, Ethel Sykes, who has invented a special dunking doughnut that will not sink in the coffee. Some nice kid interest with a school room scene with Andy the teacher. The youngsters are members of the Meglin Kiddies Band, and appear later in a musical number in the radio broadcasting sequence. Plenty of gags, with Andy scoring strong. Directed by Harry J. Edwards. Moran and Mack in "Blue Blackbirds" Educational-Fox 20 mins. Plenty Laughs Charles Mack and George Moran do their blackface work as servants to a magician who leaves them in charge of his home. A honeymoon couple come in to stay overnight, also a team of vaude actors who are trying to steal the magician's stage secrets break into the house. The gags are built around the spooky effects of the magician's tricks as the vaude team try to scare the colored lads out of the place. Lively, with the laughs coming frequently. Cincinnati — W. Gehring, branch manager, was operated o the Good Samaritan Hospital ai now resting easily. His mother c on from New York to be at his side. Cincinnati — The Ufa theater, a an eight-week run of "Be Mine night," will be closed for remodel The house has been leased by M« Segal, to be reopened Sept. 1 a first-run. Cattlesburg, Ky.— E. L. Huxi Miami will open a new theater h' Chicago — The Chateau, north i neighborhood house, now closed, been conveyed by Richard D. Shi maker of St. Louis to Thomas Henning, James L. Westlake Samuel A. Mitchell as trustees the Broadway Properties trust. Independents Would Enc Six Principal Abu* {Continued from Page 1) way toward curing the effects these unfair practices, according P. S. Harrison, president of I Federation, are: 1. Theater Buying Combinations amonfl hibitors for the purpose of coercing: prcla and distributors to sell their product at M prices. 2. Block Booking. A method of ul competition that results in closing the I to worthwhile independent product. 3. The Right of the Exhibitor to ok and of the Distributor to Sell — Pirticl right which is denied by the major compa 4. Dictating Theater Operating Poh-i the major companies, which for selfisl poses are attempting to ban double fi 5. Divorce of Exhibition from Prod, and Distribution. 6. Theater Pooling and Mergers. Arm fair method of competition and a mono(fl practice. Reservations to the conference I pouring in to the Federation fit all parts of the country, and ie gates from all branches of the I dustry have signified their readiw to attend the conference and la their aid to draft a code of f» competition that will be truly rep sentative of the industry as a wh* says Harrison. Adopt Film Methods Wash. Bur. of THE FILM DAILM Washington — A page from the fi"* I industry has been borrowed by the NIRA administration to sell the President's blanket code to the public. Under the direction of Frank R. Wilson, huge 24-page press books of newspaper size, resembling material used by film companies on special pictures, have been prepared for distribution to publicity boards in cities and towns throughout the country. These press books contain layouts, suggestions for advertising copy, tieups, and even outlines of speeches for the four-minute men.