The Film Daily (1934)

Friday, Jan. 26, 1934 TIMELY TOPICS Director Tells Three Attributes to Success (TJ.OOD taste, artistic appreciation and dramatic instinct, in the order named, are the prerequisites to success in motion picture directing. Good taste comes first because a violation of it is the most censorable element in a picture, and also because bad taste is certainly not entertaining. Critics and the public will often forgive a director's other faults, but not the lack of good taste. Artistic appreciation is next since the picture's entire balance depends on it. Under the head of artistic appreciation comes the director's appraisal of the talent about him. He may not be able to act but he must know just whom he wants for certain roles and how they are to portray them. Dramatic instinct is the last of the director's three main obligations. He gets here the benefit of the performer's knowledge of the art along with the performer's individuality and popularity. Whatever isn't done right in a portrayal, the director must correct. This amounts to dramatic instinct or sure perspective and it is something that must be borne in a person. — James Flood. Peace Advocate Sponsors Film Grace Allen Bangs, producer of the peace film, "The Cry of the World," and Campaign Secretary of World Peace Ways, announces herself as actively sponsoring "Hell on Earth," the first film to be produced specifically for an international audience, with dialogue in several languages. This picture will make its American debut at the Acme Theater on Saturday night. Booklet on Selling Via Movies How to sell commodities and services by the use of talking motion pictures is discussed in an illustrated folder just issued by Bell & Howell. The company has developed a portable 16 mm. sound-on-film projecting outfit, the Filmosound, particularly for sales work. "Girls in Uniform" Though a good job of dubbing was done, "Girls In Uniform", the Englishspeaking version of "Maedchen In Uniform" which opened Wednesday night at the Criterion Theater, unavoidably loses some distinction as a result of trying to harmonize English dialogue with the Teutonic atmosphere. The language sometimes interferes with the emotion that the acting originally evoked. However, it remains a satisfactory and fairly moving job of storytelling and, in the current version, the sex interest is more apparent, due to the exigencies of translation. This and the exploitation value should make it good box-office property. • • • WE SEE BY the papers that Mrs. Frances Taucher who inherited 100,000,000 lire from an 88-yearold macaroni manufacturer intends to produce a series of talking pictures with each leading character speaking a different language and in that manner knit together more closely all nations of the earth The idea is good but now new as down at the Acme Theater in Union Square on Saturday Aeolian's "Hell on Earth" the first "international talkie" will start an indefinite • • • FOUR LANGUAGES are spoken in the film, which was taken in the four different countries covered in the story The idea blazes a way for much expansion along these lines especially for those who advocate a universal tongue but what a chance it is for producers of comedies Take for instance a scene outside a theater with the four leading characters chatting the dialogue MIGHT go like this "Comment ca va?" "I'm Swell" "Wie ist den geschaeft?" "SMAZIL DIR!" • • • HERE'S AN ANGLE on the unlimited benefits there are to be derived from taking advantage of the national interest shown in the Film Daily's annual Ten Best Poll On Sept. 17, Dave Jones of the Strand and Senate theaters in Springfield, 111 placed an ad in the "State Journal" to the effect that only the best photoplays would be shown at his auditoriums and then on Jan. 14 simultaneously with the announcement of the Ten Best and a three column article by Dagon, the movie critic Jones ran a heavy ad with the theme line "9 out of 10 of the year's best played our theaters. A Proven Pledge" Jones sets a swell example for exhibitors whose interest in this national poll begins and ends with the reading of the final results and who don't realize that even now it is not too early to plant the seed that will mean an increased box-office harvest next fall • • • FROM S. J. KAUFMAN, the scrivener, we learn that Mitzi Mayfair scored a tremendous success in Felix Ferry's "Monte Carlo Follies" which opened Thursday in London Forty members of the company including some of Broadway's most inviting beauts were chosen by Ferry when he was in New York last November Eddie Miller, the baritone who sang his way out of the chorus of Elsie Janis' "Fair. Co-ed" back in 1908 to a most interesting stage, screen and radio career is one of the features of the Capitol stage show, starting today Next week, Leo Brecher will celebrate the fourth anniversary of the opening of the Plaza on 58th St With the assistance of his most genial manager, Milton Chamberlain .:.... Brecher has made the theater a veritable rendezvous for the elect of society stage and screen It's been an up-hill road but no movie boasts a more distinguished clientele today * * * * • • • AMPA-ITES turned out in goodly style yesterday for the outfit's first luncheon in the Hotel Paramount Grill In the absense of Prexy Flinn Vice-Pres. Rut gers Neilson turned the rattle over to Harry Hershfield, who commutes between the Cheese Club and the A.M.P.A. At the dais were petite Dorothy Lee apple-eating Bert Wheel er, who used Hershfield as his stooge ... Wee Willie Robyn Frank Buck, who told a shivery story and Roger Baldwin who seemed to be mad at the censors Don't forget next week's meeting it'll be the gals' own day with Tess Michaels of U. A. at the helm « « « » » » EXPLOITETTES Providence Merchants Exploit "Roman Scandals" A WIDE assortment of effective tie-ups with many leading merchants were among the outstanding highlights of the exploitation campaign waged by Manager H. H. Maloney for "Roman Scandals," at Loew's State Theater. Through the cooperation of Standard Brands, Inc., sales agents for Chase and Sanborn, arrangements were made for an entire window display in the Biltmore Market. In addition to a special 40 x 60 sign, pennants and cut-outs of Eddie Cantor were prominently displayed in their window and in the store. Two hundred pennants were distributed to other stores in the city. The F & W Grant stores gave an entire window to a display of lipstick, music sheets, cosmetics, cellophane ribbons, clocks and cards with the center of the attraction being stills and cue-outs of Eddie Cantor. The song hits in "Roman Scandals" were plugged over radio stations WJAR and WEAN. At the local NBC station, WJAR, sheet music covers and cut-outs of Cantor and Ruth Etting were displayed in a street store. Other merchant tie-ups were put over with florists, beauty parlors, pet shops, fashion fur coats, art supplies, furniture and toys. In each case mention was made of the picture. More than 10,000 tabloids were distributed and 500 one sheets posted. Forty of the local Thrift stores used 3,500 pricelist broadsides with the center of the display advertising the picture. — Loew's State, Providence. January 26 Hugo Riesenfeld Abe Meyer Norman Burnstine Elise Damereaux