The Film Daily (1939)

Tuesday, January 3, 1939 N. Y. CRITICS VOTE "CITADEL" BEST PIX (Continued from Page 1) M-G-M's "Three Comrades" the best female performance; Alfred Hitchcock, best direction via GB's "The Lady Vanishes"; World Pictures' "Grand Illusion," the best foreign feature; while Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," distributed by RKO Radio, was voted a special award. "The Citadel" got necessary twothirds majority on fourth ballot, with "To the Victor," "Sing You Sinners," "The Lady Vanishes," "In Old Chicago," "Blockade," and "Three On a Week-End" the respective runnersup. Tightest balloting was for best male performance, Cagney in "Angels With Dirty Faces" winning on the ninth ballot, with Spencer Tracy for his work in "Test Pilot" and "Boys' Town"; John Garfield in "Four Daughters," and Will Fyffe in "To the Victor" close contestants, while a single vote was cast for Dopey in "Snow White." Margaret Sullavan in "Three Comrades" won on fourth ballot, with Wendy Hiller in "Pygmalion"; Alice Brady in "In Old Chicago" and Katherine Hepburn in "Holiday" receiving honorable mention. "Grand Illusion" scored on the seventh ballot, followed by "Professor Mamlock," "Ballerina" and "Life Dances. On." Hitchcock got director award on the first ballot, followed by Garson Kanin for "Man to Remember"; Frank Capra, "You Can't Take It With You"; and John Cromwell for "Algiers." U. S. Government pix, "The River" was runner-up to Disney's "Snow White" for special award. Voting were: Frank Nugent, B. R. Crisler, Bosley Crowther, New York Times; Howard Barnes, R. W. Dana, Herald-Tribune; Kate Cameron, Wanda Hale, Dorothy Masters, Daily News; Bland Johaneson, Daily Mirror; Leo Mishkin, Morning Telegraph; William Boehnel, World Telegram; Archer Winsten, Irene Thirer, Post; Rose Pelswick, Regina Crewe, JournalAmerican; Herbert Cohen, Brooklyn Eagle; Edgar Price, Brooklyn Citizen; and David Piatt, Daily Worker. Awards will be made on Jan. 8 in the Rainbow Room, Rockefeller Center, and the event will be broadcast by the NBC over a nation-wide radio hook-up. Loren Ryder Named to Head SMPE Pacific Coast Section West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Loren Ryder, head of Paramount sound department, has been elected chairman of the Pacific Coast section of Society of Motion Picture Engineers for 1939. A. M. Gundelfinger will function as secretary of the group, with Wesley Miller elected for a two-year term as manager. Reviews of new nuns "Wild Horse Canyon" with Jack Randall Monogram 56 Mins. BANG-UP ACTION THRILLER MOVES FAST WITH JACK RANDALL A PERSONABLE STAR. A lively story of the open trail, with plenty of fast riding, gun-play and fist fights to keep the fans satisfied. Jack Randall and his Mexican pal, Lopez, ride into a situation where a rancher and his daughter (Dorothy Short) are having trouble with the mysterious disappearance of horses from their herd. The hero is in search of a gang who killed his brother after running off his horses, so he decides to stick around and investigate. In this case the rancher's own son is in league with the outlaws who are planning to run off the herd, after another bad man from outside the state comes along and plans to help them. But first the newcomer makes a deal to buy some horses, for which he pays, and then tries to murder the rancher as he rides to the town with the bankroll. This is all Randall wants to know, for he has marked the bills used in payment, and when later he comes across some of the money in possession of the rancher's son, he starts into action. The renegade son is killed by one of the gang, and in some fast action at the finale, all is righted amid much excitement and thrills. CAST: Jack Randall, Dorothy Short, Frank Vaconelli, Dennis Moore, Warner Richmond, Ed Cassidy, Walter Long, Charles King, Earl Douglas. CREDITS: Producer, Robert Tansey; Director, Robert Hill; Author, Robert Emmett; Screenplay, same; Cameraman, Bert Longenecker. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Okay. "FatheTOTlynn" with Tom Burke, Jean Adrienne, Robert Chisholm J. H. Hoffberg Co. 67 Mins. PLEASING IRISH FILM HAS APPEALING NATIVE HUMOR AND FINE VOICE OF TOM BURKE. Replete with native Irish humor and dialect, this film will anneal to the Hibernians throughout the United States as well as other types of audiences. Picture has a number of good selling angles for exhibs. to exploit. The singing of Tom Burke is always worth while listening to and he is supported by a capable cast including the attractive Jean Adrienne and Robert Chisholm, both of whom can also sing pleasingly. Considering limited facilities offered for production in Ireland, the film is well done technically. Story concerns attempts of Miss Adrienne's father to illegally deprive her of an inheritance. Her father has served a prison term, deserting her at an early age, with Father O'Flynn, Burke, bringing her up. Burke and Chisholm, who is in love with her, settle all scores with her father and his crooked partner in a gambling enterprise, with Chisholm's father won over by O'Flynn to letting them get married. CAST: Tom Burke, Jean Adrienne, Robert Chisholm, Henry Oscar, Ralph Truman, Denis O'Neil, Dorothy Vernon. CREDITS: Producer, J. H. Hoffberg; Director, Wilford Noy. Presented at the Squire Theater. DIRECTION, 0. K. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. *■ SHORTS * 1938— A Year of Contrasts (Paramount News Summary) Paramount 10 mins. Novelty News Presentation In summing up the headline news of the year, Paramount News takes you into a typical American home and lets you hear Mr. Average American give his concepts of the year's news. He is addressing his son. He tells him the biggest news of the year is the great white light that has fallen upon the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He tells the boy how repression of speech, of the press, has thrown into contrast our own freedom of speech and of the press. He describes the ravages abroad, the tumult in Europe, and points out our American freedom in all questions of worship. This is preceded by the usual headlines of the year: The King and Queen of England visit France. New York and San Francisco build their World's Fairs. The hurricane strikes the East. Hughes and Corrigan fly the ocean. Fire and automobile accidents take their annual toll. Roosevelt tells the Canadians that the U. S. will not stand idly by should Canada be invaded. 1938 Passes in Review (RKO Pathe News Summary) RKO Pathe 10 mins. Introducing Kaltenborn H. V. Kaltenborn starts his new assignment as news commentator for the Pathe News with this summary of the year's highlights. The opening shot shows him seated at a table ready to interpret the reel. First clip is of scenes in Spain, showing both sides. Then China, as the Japs devastate the cities. The floods in the United States, and the reconstruction projects. The World's Fair activities, the strikes, then Corrigan and his ocean flight. World preparedness is highlighted. The Austrian occupation, then Czechoslovakia. The Franco-German peace pact. Finally, America and the South American congress at Lima. "The Eternal Fire" (World Windows) United Artists 9 mins. Fine Camera Shots A fine contrast between the eternal menace of Vesuvius with its smouldering peak, and below the sunny hillsides sloping down to the Bay of Naples, where the fishermen are seen mending their nets and boats. Other scenes are of the dead glories of ancient Pompeii, all forming a beautiful and artistic picture done in Technicolor. Produced by F. W. Keller and John Hanau. The photography is handled with the skill of a craftsman. NEW TAXATION MOVES LOOM IN NO, DAKOTA (Continued from Page 1) the U. S. Supreme Court, in the minds of theater men, at least, is overshadowing the state legislative session which opens at Bismarck today. Among the diverse interests *«©resenting theater ownership in e state, there is a unanimity of opinion on one point — that nothing beneficial to the theater owners is likely to come out of the session; the legislators are going to be casting around desperately for added sources of revenue. North Dakota has a 2 per cent sales tax. As it applies to theater admissions, it is administered on a bracket basis — nothing for single 10 cent admissions, 1 cent for tickets adding from 15 cents to 50 cents, two cents over that amount. This tax expires July 1, next, unless it is renewed at the coming session, which is expected. In fact, the percentage may be increased. That a proposition to supplant the sales tax with a flat percentage tax on admission — probably in the neighborhood of 10 per cent — will be suggested at the coming session is virtually a certainty. Such a bill was introduced at the 1937 session but did not get beyond committee hearing. Another bill introduced two years ago, which met a similar fate, provided for licensing of checkers, fees ranging from $5 to $25 according to the size of the town. Whether this measure, backed by indie exhibitors, will again be introduced had not been determined. Set Financing for Six Le Baron Spanish Films Financing arrangements for six Spanish pictures to be made by Edward Le Baron, orchestra leader, have been completed, and production on first picture will get under way the end of January, Roger Marchetti, attorney, reported Friday night before he left for Washington and the Coast. Marchetti expected to see a number of people in Washington regarding a spread of the artists' surtax. Final Loew Suit Briefs Concluding briefs in the Loew's minority stockholders' action against Loew's, Inc., were filed on Friday, last, by opposing counsel, Joseph M. Proskauer, for the defense, and Emil K. Ellis for the plaintiff, with Supreme Court Justice Louis A. Valente. Adopts Insurance Plan Springfield, Mass. — Three hundred employes of the Western Massachusetts Theaters, Inc., will share in a new group insurance plan, announced by Nathan E. Goldstein president.