The Film Daily (1941)

DAILY Monday, February 17, 111 $500,000 Tax Saving Looms Via Ohio Bill (Continued from Page 1) of Ohio, in a bulletin issued following the bill's introduction, says: "In view of the splendid financial condition in which the State finds itself, there is considerable sentiment among the business interests of Ohio for a reduction in taxes, and it is our feeling that we are entitled to a lot of consideration because the amusement industry was the first to suffer from emergency taxes, which were first enacted by the Legislature back in 1933 when the initial admissions tax of 10 per cent was imposed. "In addition, our business is carrying the load of the National Defense Tax upon all admissions above 20 cents, and it is very possible that the present Congress will increase this tax to include all admissions of 10 cents and perhaps from the first penny." Change ' Fly-by-Night" Bill To Meet School Opposition Indianapolis — At the suggestion of the Indiana Farm Bureau, American Legion and the Indiana Teachers Association, the ATOI withdrew H. B. 114 designed to curb operations of Fly-by-night promoters and filed a new measure, H. B. 458. Latter embraces practically all the provisions of the earlier measure, but exempts shows and sports events of school, lodges, churches, etc. Behind the opposition lined up to the original bill was LeRoy Dennis, operating the Dennis Film Bureau, Inc., of Wabash. Dennis sent out more than 1,000 letters to school men, legislators, and others, charging that the bill "would create a virtual monopoly on entertainment in favor of the theaters." Dennis furnishes films to schools, etc., in Indiana. O'Brien Enters ChL Law Firm Chicago — Vincent O'Brien, local attorney for Warners, is now a member of the law firm of Defrees, Buckingham, Fiske & O'Brien. Jack Kirsch Licks Flu Chicago — Jack Kirsch, Illinois Allied prexy, who was hospitalized for the flu, has recovered. Read While You Wait Detroit — Eddie Jacobson, enterprising manager of the Parkside Theater, provided reading matter for his customers when he had a standing crowd in the lobby. He corralled the neighborhood supply of morning papers when the first edition arrived at 8:45 p.m., and passed them out to about 100 customers waiting in line — and not one asked for a refund, spending the time before the show broke, in reading the news. ■Cr REVIEWS Of THE flEUJ flLfllS "This Thing Called Love" with Rosalind Russell, Melvyn Douglas, Binnie Barnes Columbia 98 Mins. GAY ROMANTIC COMEDY HAS HILARIOUS STORY, SPLENDID CAST, EXPERT DIRECTION AND A-l PRODUCTION; SHOULD BE BIG B.O. EVERY PLACE. Any audience that wants to laugh — and what audience doesn't? — will get a big bang from this new Columbia comedy. It is suave, continuously funny, splendidly cast, expertly directed and produced with no limit on the purse strings, with the result that it has a handsome setting. The story itself devolves around one central idea, but it has been kept flowing continuously and one situation after another crops up to carry the humor along. Exhibitors should do big business with it every place. Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas spell marquee drawing power and the very idea of the story readily lends itself to numerous exploitation ideas. Miss Russell has never appeared to better advantage. As a comedienne she is topdrawing talent, and does a whale of a job. Melvyn Douglas is excellent in the other starring role. Smooth supporting performances are contributed by Binnie Barnes, Ailyn Joslyn, Gloria Dickson and Lee J. Cobb, with remainder of the cast much more than adequate. Alexander Hall turns in a smooth directorial job on all counts. Every punch line and situation is smartly handled and perfectly timed for heavy laughs, with no backfires any place. Credit for the adroit and amusing screenplay goes to George Seaton, Ken Englund and P. J. Wolfson. The production reins were handled by William Perlberg, who afforded the picture everything necessary in the way of cast, technicians, story and settings to make it a smoothly finished job. As for the story, Miss Russell and Douglas get married, but she is a top-ranking insurance company executive and has a "theory" about marriage, to wit, that a man and his wife should live together for three months after getting married to get to know each other before they "actually" become man and wife. Using this plot base, one amusing situation after another is developed with all ending well, but not before numerous complications. CAST: Rosalind Russell, Melvyn Douglas, Binnie Barnes, Ally n Joslyn, Gloria Dickson, Lee J. Cobb, Gloria Holden, Paul McGrath, Leona Maricle, Don Beddoe, Rosina Galli, Sig Arno. CREDITS: Producer, William Perlberg; Direcor, Alexander Hall; Screenplay, George Seaton, Ken Englund and P. J. Wolfson; Based on a play by Edwin Burke; Cameraman, Joseph Walker. DIRECTION, Swell. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. Cooper Aids Greek Relief Oklahoma City — John Sinopoulo of Midwest Enterprises, Inc., leader of the Greek War Relief Fund here, announced the total had been boosted to $8,600 with a $500 donation from Joe Cooper, president of Standard Theaters Corp. "Blonde Inspiration" with John Shelton, Virginia Grey, Albert Dekker Metro 72 Mins. HOKUM AND HORSEPLAY ARE MIXED KOR LAUGHS, BUT THE STORY HAS SHORTCOMINGS. A weak story with too few laughs defeats the efforts of an earnest cast to make rhis picture more than moderately amusing program fare for nabe audiences. The actors are adequate, but they lack material, i he technical aspects of the film are okay, txhibitors will have to sell the picture as it lacks any marquee "names" that will serve as a draw. John Shelton, Virginia Grey, Albert Dekker, Charles Butterworth, Reginald Owen and Alma Kruger are the principals, with Miss Grey and Shelton handling most of the work and providing the love interest. The entire cast performs commendably. Picture was directed by Busby Berkeley and the screenplay was written by Marion Parsonnet. Shelton, under the domination of Miss Kruger, a wealthy relative who also wears the pants for her own husband, Owen, leaves her home so that he can become a writer. Owen secretly gives him some money to finance his career, and Shelton promptly gets mixed up with Dekker and Butterworth, a pair of unscrupulous pulp magazine publishers. From there on to the windup there is considerable confusion and turmoil, with most of the story a little too wacky for credibility. However, everything turns out all right in the end. CAST: John Shelton, Virginia Grey, Albert Dekker, Charles Butterworth, Donald Meek, Reginald Owen, Alma Kruger, Rita Quigley, Marion Martin, George Lessey. CREDITS: Producer, B. P. Fineman; Director, Busby Berkeley; Screenplay, Marion Parsonnet; Based on a play by Cecily Holm; Cameraman, Sidney Wagner and Oliver T. Marsh; Editor, Gene Ruggiero. DIRECTION, O.K. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. 13 New Members Enter Detroit's Variety Club Detroit — Detroit Variety Club is taking in these 13 new members in a major expansion: John R. McPherson, manager, National Screen Service; Paul David rJromberg, accountant, Wisper & Wetsman Theaters; James E. West, theatrical photographer; Clark C. Coulter, Coulter Premiums; Edward Bellew, UA exploiteer; Robert Bernstein, M-G-M salesman; Carl L. Krueger, Jam Handy Picture Service; Edward L. Hyman, assistant to the president, UDT; Jack Broder, circuit owner; Lester Grouber, night club operator; Robert P. Corbin, UDT supervisor; Clifford Giesseman, Altec Service Co., and Philip F. Brestoff, musical director, Michigan Theater. Kaplan Stricken In Miami Miami, Fla. — Sigmund Kaplan, 81, retired theater operator of East Orange, N. J., died suddenly at the home of his son, Julius I. Kaplan, Miami. ! "Father's Son" with John Litel, Frieda Inescort, Billy Dawson Warners 57 h s SENTIMENTAL FAMILY STORY O.l AS PROGRAM OFFERING FOR NABE Nabe houses can probably find use&t this picture as it has a sentimental || story that is not too gushy, and the' itself is not overlong. The cast is i than adequate, the picture is all right t nically and the story itself does not lag id .us some laughs in addition to its lie serious aspects. Lack of "names" fill necessitate selling by the exhibitors. John Litel and Frieda Inescort, man ic wife in the film, and Billy Dawson, liir son, head the cast. Helpful assistances contributed by Christian Rub, Berenice Pit Sammy McKim and Phillip Hurlic. D. Es Lederman directed from a screenplay Fred Niblo, Jr. Litel, a hot-tempered man, never sens to be able to understand the scrapes is son, Dawson, gets into, because as a kicie .limself had worked and had had no He ror play. Miss Inescort intervenes on :■ naif of the child, but the family trie keeps getting worse until they separate Id L)awson and his mother move to ano e house. This situation is neatly mendedfcy young Dawson with a little skull-dugger! o .hat everything ends happily. CAST: John Litel, Frieda Inescort, lly Dawson, Christian Rub, Berenice Pilot, F lip Hurlic, Sammy McKim, Sonny Bid. Scotty Beckett, Myra Marsh, John Dilli, oeorge Lloyd, Inez Gay. CREDITS: Produced by Warners; Dii| tor, D. Ross Lederman; Screenplay, lid Niblo, Jr.; From a story by Booth T; .ngton; Cameraman, Allen G. Siegler; I tor, Frank Magee. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAP Good. ice-Capades Back to Hut Wednesday for Six Day Boston — Ice-Capades comes for e second time this season to BosJD Garden next Wednesday for a six-ctf run. This ice show did an $85,i{0 gross in five days and nights h in November, hitting exhib. gross The Skating Club of Boston nounces that Vivi-Anne Hult i, Swedish skating star, will direct e Ice Carnival of 1941, to be sta^d at the club's own arena late Jf\ March. William J. Otto Dead Louisville— William J. Otto, 69 stagehand in Louisville theaters more than 40 years, died of pn< monia at St. Joseph's Infirm^ where he underwent an operatfi two weeks ago. George F. Broadwell Stricken Oberlin, O.— George F. Broadwj 49, theater owner, died at his hojp here from a heart attack. Reopen Chicago's Lamar Chicago — The Essaness Circft has re-opened the Lamar Thea|p under Ted Grant management.