The Film Daily (1940)

Monday, August 12, 1940 W DAILY Rubin Cuts Loew Common Holdings (Continued from Page 1) shares of Loew's Boston Theaters $25 par common stock to bring their holding in the subsidiary company in this class to 117,436 shares. Twentieth Century-Fox reports Si^ -jv R. Ken* * is added 25 snares of*^himon no ' value to his holdings which now Atotal 3,180 in this class. The report of RKO reveals L. Lawrence Green disposed of 1,000 shares of common no par value and now holds 4,250 shares. The following officers are reported as holding no equity securities: Ned E. Depinet, James G. Harbord, William Mallard, W. J. Merrill, John E. Parsons, N. Peter Rathvon, W. G. Van Schmus, Lunsford P. Yandell. Under the $1 par common class R. C. Patterson, Jr. reports holding 589 shares, RCA 316,328 shares as beneficial owner and Rockefeller Center, 563,629 as beneficial owner. RCA also holds 555,254 warrants for common and 44,757 shares of 6 per cent convertible preferred as beneficial owner, the report states. Samuel J. Briskin filed 1939 reports under Columbia Pictures. In a September, 1939 report he states he disposed of 600 of Columbia's common voting trust certificates leaving him with none of the certificates which were acquired in July of 1939. In the same month he acquired 2,627 options for common bringing his total to 13,134 options. GTE reports Edward C. Delafield has acquired 100 shares of Capital no par value and now holds 200 shares. In a corrected May, 1940 report Walter E. Green reports acquiring 210 shares for a total holding of 260 shares. Kenneth M. Young reports disposing of 100 shares of Pathe Film Corp. $1 par common stock, leaving him with 400 shares. T. C. Davis reports holding 100 shares of Pathe $1 par common. He is also listed under Monogram, but holds no equity securities. Metro's Chi. Exchange As WB Building Tenant Chicago — Metro's Exchange will move this Fall from 1327 So. Wabash Ave. to Warner Exchange Building at 1307 Wabash Avenue where it will take over the entire fifth floor for M-G-M film for offices and part of the first floor for shipping and inspection departments. WEDDING BELLS Manny Harmon of the RKO Radio Coast music department and Rosalie Loeb, formerly of Louisville, Ky., were married last week at the home of the bride's parents. They left the same day for a honeymoon trip to Oregon. reviews of new fums "The Return of Frank James" with Henry Fonda, Gene Tierney, Jackie Cooper, Henry Hull 20th Century-Fox 92 Mins. POWERFUL B.O. DRAMA STRONG IN ALL DEPARTMENTS; CERTAIN TO ATTRACT AND PLEASE FANS. Possessed of the same vitality as its predecessor piece, — that intense grosser, "Jesse James," which poured more coin into U. S. box offices than the famed bandit ever dreamed of snaring in his wild career, "The Return of Frank James" is a cinch to pack houses in every territory. It is big, exciting and satisfying in its own right, and would get the customers coming even without the pre-sold angle of following in the wake of "Jesse James." To sum-up its assets briefly, "The Return of Frank James" is blessed with a great cast, substantially that which went-to-town in recounting the exploits of Jesse; it is excellently acted, splendidly directed by Fritz Lang, photographed up to the hilt by George Barnes and William V. Skall; and is cloathed in radiant Technicolor which brings out the best virtues of action, characterizations, and settings. The fatter are eye-filling. The story goes right to the point, which is rhe avenging by Frank James (Henry Fonda) of his brother Jesse's cowardly murder at the hands of the Ford Brothers, played by John Carradine and Charles Tannen. Fonda turns in a fine job in the title role, as does Gene Tierney, cast as the ambitious yet tender-hearted Denver newspaper girl who loves the avenging Fonda with a love destined at the finale to remain unrequited. Scenes of a memorable and thrilling sort are legion in the footage, whose climax is the wiping out of the remaining Ford Brother. Gunplay, hard riding, and romantic and emotional sequences succeed one another in rapid tempo. Jackie Cooper wins further laurels for himself as the young sidekick of Fonda. Notwithstanding the dominance of a tragic and incessant man-hunting, comedy studs the saga. Audiences of all ages will go for this attraction like the proverbial duck to water. CAST: Henry Fonda, Gene Tierney, Jackie Cooper, Henry Hull, John Carradine, J. Edward Bromberg, Donald Meek, Eddie Collins, George Barbier, Ernest Whitman, Charles Tannen, Lloyd Corrigan, Russell Hicks, Victor Kilian, Edward McWade, George Chandler, Irving Bacon, Frank Shannon, Barbara Pepper, Louis Mason, Stymie Beard, William Pawley, Frank Sully, Davidson Clark. CREDITS: Producer, Darryl F. Zanuck; Associate Producer, Kenneth Macgowan; Director, Fritz Lang; Original Screenplay, Sam Hellman; Photography, George Barnes, William V. Skall; Technicolor Director, Natalie Kalmus; Associate, Morgan Padelford; Art Direction, Richard Day, Wiard B. Ihnen; Set Decorations, Thomas Little; Film Editor, Walter Thompson; Costumes, Travis Banton; Sound, W. D. Flick, Roger Heman; Musical Direction, David Buttolph. DIRECTION, Splendid. PHOTOGRAPHY, Tops. Portland Orpheum Dark Portland, Ore.— The Orpheum Theater has closed, with reopening set for about Oct. 15. House is operated by John Danz. "He Stayed For Breakfast" with Loretta Young, Melvyn Douglas, Una O'Connor Columbia 89 Mins. SOLID ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL TYPES OF AUDIENCES; SHOULD BE BIG AT B.O. Marking B. P. Schulberg's return to the production field after a lengthy absence, this new Columbia release should bring in plenty of "manna" for the exhibitors and everybody else concerned. It is very definitely a general audience picture that, because of its comedy aspects, has no limitations. The laughs are good, and they are plentiful. The entire cast is fine, and Schulberg has given the picture a first-rate production. Alexander Hall directed with a light tonguein-cheek touch that keeps the comedy situations comic, and he never allows the film to bog down at any point. Playing their parts lightly and smartly, Miss Young and Melvyn Douglas do handsomely by the two lead roles. Fine support is provided by Una O'Connor, Alan Marshall and Eugene Pall ette, with remainder of the cast equally capable. Poking fun at the "commies," the story's satire will be fully appreciated any place. Douglas, a "commie," who is a waiter, shoots a coffee cup out of the hand of wealthy and fat Pallette, a banker, because his lifted pinky finger annoys him. Douglas, disguised as a policeman and fleeing from the police, arrives in the apartment of Miss Young, Pallette's estranged wife, while Pallette and Alan Marshall, another suitor, are trying to put themselves over with the lady of their affections. Miss Young hides Douglas before the police come in, but with a guard around the building he is trapped in her apartment. The juggling of the three men by Miss Young, and Douglas' conversion from a "commie" into a man who is interested in females instead of the party will get plenty of hearty laughs from any audience. Picture winds up in a hilarious climax with Douglas and Miss Young on their way to America together. Photography of Joseph Walker also is deserving of comment. CAST: Loretta Young, Melvyn Douglas, Una O'Connor, Eugene Pallette, Alan Marshall, Curt Bois, Leonid Kinsky. CREDITS: Producer, B. P. Schulberg; Director, Alexander Hall; Screenplay, P. J. Wolfson, Michael Fessier and Ernest Vajda; Based upon Sidney Howard's adaptation of the French play "Liberte Provisoire," by Michel Duran; Cameraman, Joseph Walker; Editor, Viola Lawrence. DIRECTION, Fine. PHOTOGRAPHY, Expert. Wanted: New Western Star West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Sigmund N e u f e 1 d , who is in charge of production for Producers Releasing Corp., and who has Bob Steele and Tim McCoy under contract, is seeking a new Sage brush star for his "Lone Rider" series. George Bricker, William A. Ullman, Jr. and William Lively are preparing stories for August and September production. War Fails lo Lower Foreign Pix Imports 'Continued from Page 1) Great Britain, Italy, Poland, China, Sweden, Hungary, Russia, Italy, Egypt, Ireland, Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Switzerland," a Division spokesman said. "Of course some of these countries are slightly below their usual average and we have not received a picture from Czecho-Slovakia since May." The Motion Picture Division, headed by Irwin Esmond, does not believe that foreign pictures recently imported are tinged with propaganda, despite the fact that in the totalitarian countries, film production is rigidly controlled and made to reflect national ideology. However, the State censors feel that they are alert to the possibilities. "As yet foreign countries have made no determined effort to send in propagandized dramas," it was said at the Division. "Although our governing act does not include propaganda, we might be able to deal with flagrant cases under one of the more generalized clauses." "Frank James" Gives Roxy Year's Top Opening Biz (Continued from Page 1) ure, the company's home office announced. The picture also opened Friday at the New Theater, Baltimore, the Norva at Norfolk, the Fox at St. Louis, the Denver at Denver, the Lincoln at Springfield, 111., the Palace at Newport News, and the Lincoln at Cheyenne, with reports Saturday indicating it was heading for top biz in all spots. Richmond — Twin debut of "The Return of Frank James" Thursday at the Byrd and State Theaters here proved an effective chaser of b.o. blues. Pointing toward high money for the year at both houses, the opening day figures showed that the 20thFox Technicolor feature had topped "Kentucky" by 8.6 per cent, "The Grapes of Wrath" by 9 per cent, "Drums Along the Mohawk" by 37.2 per cent, "Maryland" by 47.3 per cent and "Johnny Apollo" by 77.9 per cent. Chicago — Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Jones, Jr., announce the birth of a boy who will be named Johnny Jones, at the Mayer House of the Michael Reese Hospital. Father is a member of the firm of Jones, Linick & Schaefer. Chicago — A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Wally Bennin at the Columbus Hospital. Father is booker for Metro's exchange.