The Film Daily (1937)

im THE 10 -am. DAILV Tuesday, Jan. 19, 1937 CHICAGO Erwin G. Frederick is the architect for the Gollos Bros.' Woodlawn Theater and the Joe Goldburg organization has the complete contract. It is expected the house will be ready early in April. The Darb Theater, at Manteno, 111., under the Fred Anderson management, has opened. Gerald McKeon has been named house manager. Harry Boshes, Edward Franks and H. Boshes have organized the Playhouse Co. Will J. Krugley handled the legal details. Evanston Theater Corp. has surrendered its charter to the Secretary of State. A. L. Stein handling the legal details. I. B. Perlman, movie theater attorney, is spending a winter vacation at Miami Beach. Evanston will soon have another 1,500-seat movie house, to be called the Stadium. J. E. 0. Pridmore is the architect. Wildings Picture Productions announce James Prindle has joined the Chicago staff. He was formerly with the Radio division of the Chicago Department of Education. R&riewf of Hew TUms "WOMAN IN DISTRESS" with May Robson "SHE'S DANGEROUS" with Tala Birell, Walter Pidgeon, Columbia 68 mins. | Cesar Romero SOLID STORY AND MAY ROBSON'S j (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) EXCELLENT ACTING FEATURE THIS Universal 67 mins. PITTSBURGH Danny Davis was named local talent scout for Burroughs-Tarzan Pictures. The Fine Arts Department of the University of Pittsburgh is sponsoring a series of film programs taken from the new historical film library of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Opening bill included "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." Eddie Carrier, assistant to Bill Ferguson, Metro's publicity chief, was a business visitor here. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kalmine (he's Warners' zone manager) are leaving on an 18-day South American cruise on Jan. 27. The last biennial report of the Pennsylvania Board of Censors revealed that it has collected $266,535 from examination fees and reviewed 177,000 motion picture reels in 14,412 theaters in this state. The Harris-William Penn has added Movie Sweepstakes. The Alvin is holding over Sonja Heme's "One In A Million." "Camille" is playing a second week at the Warner. Youngclaus Gets Another Lincoln— William F. "Bill" Youngclaus, mid-state exhib, has taken over the Island, Grand Island, Neb., Sunday, Jan. 17. This gives him two houses in the town, the Empress, a 500-seater, and the Island, which seats 600. He's prepared to lock horns, he says, with the Tri-States group in the same town with two theaters, Capitol and Majestic. Youngclaus wants to get rid of dime admissions in Grand Island promising to maintain 15 and 20c prices at his second runners if the Capitol goes to 35c and the Majestic to twobits for firsts. SKILLFULLY PRODUCED DRAMA ALL PATRONS WILL ENJOY. Superb character acting by May Robson, as the plain, genuine, little old lady from Stonington, Maine, who owns an equally genuine Rembrandt painting which was given to her in the long ago by a beau who died, makes this feature a high spot among current releases of its type. Strictly speaking it is a newspaper drama, with a goodly smattering of crook and mystery stuff. The story, aside from being logical and exciting, is of silken smoothness in the screenplay as handled by Albert DeMond. Every strata of patrons will find it thoroughly diverting. The Rembrandt's authenticity is in doubt, but a shrewd newspaper editor assigns Dean Jagger to jump up to Maine, for there might be quite a yarn in the making. Dean is having his troubles on the sheet by reason of the fact that Irene Hervey is constantly scooping him. She takes the same plane. The gentleman reporter, through a colleague, finds the painting to be genuine. A New York connoisseur, who is as crooked as a corkscrew, knows it is and succeeds in stealing it. The little old lady comes to New York to assist in identifying the priceless picture in case it is recovered. How Dean and the police do so is highly interesting. And, more than that, he saves Irene's life and that of May Robson when the crooks all but succeed in killing them in an ingenious manner which will be certain to allay all suspicion as to who perpetrated the deed. The criminals are captured, and the two rival news hawks wed. Lynn Shores' direction is fine. So is the photography by Allen G. Seigler, and the performances of the entire supporting cast. Cast: May Robson, Irene Hervey, Dean Jagger, Douglas Dumbrille, George McKay, Gene Morgan, Paul Fix, Frank Sheridan, Charles Wilson, Arthur Loft, Wallis Clark. Director, Lynn Shores; Author, Edwin Olmstead; Screenplay, Albert DeMond; Cameraman, Allen G. Siegler; Editor, Byron Robinson. Direction, Fine. Photography, Fine. MINNEAPOLIS Al Hill has been made house manager of the Pantages. John Cliplef, manager of the Orpheum, Langdon, N, D., was in Minneapolis for a few days because of the death of his father. Lowell Kaplan of the Pantages subbed for Cliplef. With the acquisition of the Orpheum, and a deal with the Singer circuit culminated, Minnesota Amusement company has shifted staffs in the Minneapolis loop. The Century staff goes to the Lyric, the Lyric staff to the State and the State staff to the Century. Under the new setup, Al Slintz manages the State. Joe Podoloff has been made branch ILLOGICAL STORY HANDICAPS THIS OTHERWISE WELL ACTED AND DIRECTED CROOK DRAMA. Hampered by a far-fetched original idea, this crook drama is hardly anything more than just another program number. The screenplay writers, Lionel Houser and Albert Perkins, have tried to put some suspense into the plot and their dialogue is very appropriate. The directors, Lewis R. Foster and Milton Carruth have given the piece a good pace, the players performances are very capable, and all around the picture is well handled. However, all this does not overcome the obvious story which contains some highly imaginative situations. Walter Brennan is very amusing whenever he appears and Warren Hymer is also good for a number of laughs. Cesar Romero as a heartless crook and killer does very well, and Tala Birell and Walter Pidgeon do nicely in their roles. Tala Birell, a foreigner employed by a private detective finds herself the prisoner of Cesar Romero. He has killed her employer and evidence points to her as the murderer. Cesar and Warren Hymer have to keep an apointment in Denver and take Tala along. The plane crashes, all evidence is burned, but the three escape and are rescued by Walter Pidgeon and Walter Brennan. While recuperating, Tala and Walter fall in love. Cesar and Hymer want to leave, taking Tala along, but the law catches up with them. Both Tala and Cesar are sentenced to be electrocuted. The girl is to go first and believing she is dead, Cesar confesses that he alone did the killing. This allows for the reuniting of Tala and Walter. Cast: Tala Birell, Walter Pidgeon, Cesar Romero, Walter Brennan, Warren Hymer, Samuel S. Hinds, Jonathan Hale, Richard Carle, Franklyn Pangborn, Richard Tucker, June Brewster, Stanley Andrews. Associate Producer, E. M. Asher; Director, Lewis R. Foster and Milton Carruth; Authors, Murray Roth, Ben Ryan; Screenplay, Lionel Houser, Albert H. Perkins; Cameraman, Milton Krasner, A.S.C.; Art Director, Jack Otterson, Associate, Loren Patrick; Editor, Frank Gross; Musical Director, Lou Forbes; Special Effects, John P. Fulton; Sound, Homer G. Tasker. Direction, Peppy. Photography, Good. SAN FRANCISCO Hal Neides, manager of the Orpheum theater, was moved from Dante Sanitarium, where he was recovering from a severe case of pneumonia, back to his hotel, for more rest. M. S. Vidaver, formerly publicity man with Fox West Coast Theaters, J is now associated with G. Karski at Motion Picture Service. Bert Levey, of the Bert Levey Booking Agency, is recovering at Dante Sanitarium from a serious heart attack. Phil Phillips, advertising manager for FWC, is on the sick list. Ditto Ben Westland, publicity representative of Universal. Lawrence Moran arrived here this week from New York, taking over the post of Booker for Universal Film Exchange. Nasser Brothers, owners of Seven i Bay district theaters, have signed contracts with Erpi for immediate installation of Mirrophonic sound n equipment in their Royal Theater in San Francisco. Mrs. Phil Frease, has sold one of the four Frease houses, to the Palo I Alto Theater Corp., a subsidiary of r Fox West Coast. The theater is the I Redwood, located in Redwood City, jj1 After an expenditure of over Jj $75,000 between the local Warfield (FWC) Theater, and the RKO Golden Gate Theater, when Taylor M Street was widened, the Board of m Supervisors are now contemplating hi the widening of Golden Gate Avenue, n which the RKO house also fronts. W Complete ownership of the United Artists has been effected by Herman Cohen, who purchased the controlling interest from United Artists Corp. for a cash price of $75,000. Pinky Tomlin returned to Hollywood, after making personal appearances with his latest picture, "With Love and Kisses." Golden State Theater Circuit has opened the Noe which was built at a cost of around $100,000. CINCINNATI manager of Fox, with Moe Levy promoted to district supervisor. Hy Chapman, Columbia branch manager, has returned from Milwaukee. Jim Donahoo of Paramount has returned from the east. Sandy Gottlieb, MGM booker, will be married in March. Two houses in Dickinson, N. D., were destroyed by fire. They are the Rialto and the Strand, operated by Johnson and Mugridge. Bill Mussman, North Dakota salesman for Fox, has been promoted to booker. Universal's Col. Paul Krieger and Mrs. Krieger entertained the sales force and bookers of Universal, with their wives, with a dinner dance at their home. Sam Galanty, Columbia division manager, is back at his desk following an operation. Tommy Burns, former shipper for Columbia, has been promoted to the booking department. Lou Grossman has been promoted from ad sales to shipper. Ann Valbrush has resigned from the staff. Visitors this week included C. O. Brown, exhibitor from Middletown, with his daughters; C. F. Pfister, Troy; Don Reda of Vicco, Ky.; Fred Krimm, Mayfair, Dayton; Mr. and Mrs. George Revelis, the Palace, Washington, C. H.; Miss Bertha Wolf, Pastime Theater, Owenton; T. J. Russell, Pythian, Columbia; J. W. Goldberg, Big Features.