The Film Daily (1939)

Thursday, July 13, 1939 ■ft ft SHORT SUBJECT RC-VICUJS ft ft ■: :: , Paramount Pictorial (No. P8-11) Paramount 10 mins. Good Entertainment Comprising a trio of stories about water, this one-reeler has a very definite practical and psychological value as Summer screen fare. Footage is good entertainment, dealing as it does with scenic shcts attending the argosy of a boatman along the romantic and history-laden waterways of Old England. Audience is then transported to th Philippines where is depicted the strange but ingenious method of supplying fish commercially to the inhabitants. Instead of waiting until the fish have matured in the sea, they are collected while small and then raised to maximum size in fish-farm pools. Concluding sequence is down at the beach of a U. S. resort, and shows efficient patrolling by life guards, latter's duties, and a staged rescue. "The Bear That Couldn't Sleep" (Rudolph Ising Cartoon) M-G-M 9 mins. Class Mr. Bruin gees in to his cabin for his Winter sleep. Then the interruptions start, with the roof leaking on his bed, the windows blowing open, the fire f^-ackling and popping. Then some Cj rs get down his pajamas, and tht^fcd starts to sizzle. Bruin lights out into the snow to cool off, and the door of his hut slams shut. By the time he manages to get back inside and straighten things out, Spring has arrived, and he has to desert his bed again. Done in Technicolor. "Riding the Crest" (Sportscope) RKO Radio 9 mins. Exciting Fine camera shcts of the fun at Waikiki. Starts with the maneuvering cf sailboats through the dangerous coral reefs and the surf. Then the native boys riding the combers on their surfboards. The shots are very good, being closeups that follow the riders in from the time they start till they ride safely through the final crest to the beach. Very exciting. The surf board technique is shown in detail, and it proves to be quite a complicated art, and dangei-ous. Seme nice stunting with a tandem surfboard, and also canoeing, complete a most interesting study of the famous Hawaiian beach. Produced by Frederic Ullman, Jr. Supervised by Frank Donovan. "The Greener Hills" (A Miniature) M-G-M 11 mins. Human The sprightly yarn of Mr. Miller, an incurable optimist, who is always chucking up his job or business to try something new. Wifie and the boy and girl try to humcr him, figuring that some day he may make that million he is always talking about. He takes over a peanut farm, and immediately starts off on a bee-hive industry, leaving the wife and kiddies to run the peanut farm. He comes back broke, to find the family has made gcod by sticking to one thing — peanuts. Cured of his wanderlust, he settles down. Featured are Emmett Vogan, Grace Stafford, Cora Sue Collins, Ronnie Cosby. Directed by Sammy Lee, from a script by Alfred Giebler. Produced by Jack Chertok. "Lucky Pigs" (Color Rhapsody) Columbia 7 mins. Lively Cartoon Good satire on the income tax, with Mama and Papa Pig winning the big sweeps prize. They start to spend, starting with a gorgeous mansion and all that goes with it. But when the tax man starts to collect, they are right back in the pig pen with the little piggies, where they all started. Produced by Charles Mintz. In Technicolor. "Devil Drivers" (Sportscope) RKO Radio 8 mins. Racing Thrills The road racing in various parts of Europe is covered in some exciting scenes of daredevil driving. Mcnte Carlo, Tripoli and the Grand Prix at Neuville. Then the Donington Park Races in England. But the exciting races are those on the dirt track in the United States, with the Indianapolis classic providing the thrills and spills. The latter are piled on with a series of smashups, with cars and their drivers hurtling into the air. Other shots show midget car racing. Produced by Frederic Ullman, Jr. Supervised by Frank Donovan. "Miracles of Modernization" FHA 10 mins. Swell Inside on Better Homes Produced by RKO Pathe News for FHA with Frederic Ullman, Jr., Pathe chieftain at the helm, this Technicolor short should prove of interest to every home owner throughcut the country. It shows the miracles of modernization in small houses and large houses, and how the average man can do the same thing. The color adds to the natural outdoor beauty of the settings, and the film all in all is a credit to the production department of Pathe. "The Scared Crows" (Betty Boop Cartoon) Paramount 7 mins. Amusing to Audiences Betty, with her trusty pup, Pudgy, as company, is working on the farm when a band of unruly crows decide to have a feast for themselves, and accordingly pilfer the seeds with which have just been sown. To prevent disaster, Betty gets a scarecrow in S.O.S. fashicn, frightening the raiding crows. Latter, however, repair to her house where they do a good job of raiding the pantry shelves, aside from making life miserable for Pudgy with their highjinks and sharp beaks. However, the scarecrow is enlisted for service again and the crows are driven off. Dave Fleischer directed this amusing Max Fleischer Cartoon, which audiences will like. "Picturesque Udaipur" (FitzPatrick Traveltalk) M-G-M 8 mins. Fine Travel A fine camera survey in gorgeous Technicolor shots of this ancient city of India. Contrasts are shown in the life of the humble Hindus in the streets and market places, and the upper caste in the beautiful palace, where the motion picture machine penetrates for the first time through a special dispensation that FitzPatrick secured. The multiform life of the city is seen in close-ups, a very interesting glimpse cf a littleknown corner of India. "Tempo of Tomorrow" (Headliner A8-11) Paramount 10 mins. Well-Made Ork Reel Alluring voices of Stuart Allen, baritone, and of the comely and popsongstress, Patricia Gilmore, add variety to this well-made and melodic ork short featuring Richard Himber and His Orchestra. Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger are composers of "The Prom Waltz" number sung by Allen, who also renders "Alone at the Station." The Patricia Gilmore highlight is "Listen My Heart." Tab reel has swing climax with a torrid composition "Gettin' Off." Himber's music is colorful and bound to please. Leslie Roush directed the short. "The Technique of Tennis" (News World of Sports) Columbia 10 mins. Inside Stuff Good tennis technique for the lovers of the sport, with Lloyd Budge, brother of the famous Don, showing the various tricks of the trade as he instructs some pretties who are there for atmosphere. The proper swing, the grip, the forehand, backhand, serve, footwork, timing, all are treated cleverly. The finale has Lloyd giving a demonstration of all-round skill. "Life Begins for Andy Panda" (Walter Lantz) Universal 8 mins. Andy Panda, a cub, makes an auspicious debut in the cartoon world. The subject opens with fellow denizens of the forest offering various names for the newly born off-spring of Papa and Mama Panda, but the parents decide on the name of Andy. Papa Panda warns Andy rot to wander from the forest, but Andy insists he wants to get in a newsreel. He steals away from the forest and is chased by pigmy hunters. Papa and Mama try to res cue Andy, but it is a little skunk who frightens away the hunters and it is really Andy who saves his parents. "Swinguette" (Pathe Reelism) RKO Radio 8 mins. Classy Dance Arthur Murray presents his ballroom dancers in some very modern terpsichore that combines class with swing, done in the ritzy atmosphere of the Crystal Ballroom of the RitzCarlton. The audience is invited to join in, and no doubt the audience in the theaters on viewing it would be glad to join also, if they can find room in the aisles. The music and the steps are very catchy. Produced by Frederic Ullman, Jr. Supervised by Frank Donovan. "Farewell Vienna" (Paragraphic) Paramount 10 mins. Fine Symphony Fine orchestral presentation of the famous National Philharmonic Orchestra, playing an original composition, "Farewell Vienna," written by Frederick Feher, the conductor. Some fine waltz melodies make this a number that should please generally. The photographic presentation has been admirably handled. FOR REEL SHIPPING ECONOMY PHONE RAILWAY EXPRESS You get complete, day and night, nationwide film shipping service right to your door at neili economical rates. Reductions apply to shipments of 21 lbs. or less regardless of distance shipped and up to 50 lbs. for shorter distances. 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