The Film Daily (1941)

Tuesday, August 5, 1941 Mills Novelty Biz Soars Skyward 70% Chicago — Mills Novelty Co., from present indications, will show a record 1941 business volume of some ?'^000 000. or an increase of apP „£imately 70 per cent over the S^UOO.OOO in 1940, according to Fred L. Mills, president. He declares that if the organization is able to get enough raw material for its Panorams and vending machines, the '41 figure may go even higher. Current, the company is turning out 75 Panorams daily, plus 200 vending machines, as a result of having increased factory forces bv 3 bout 30 per cent since the first of the year. Bids have also been submitted for national defense orders. The present manufacturing pace, with resulting income, he asserts, is attributable in a large measure to Panoram production. REVIEWS Of SHORT SUBJECTS McCarthy. Bergman Resign from 20th-Fox "Steeds and Steers" (RKO Pathe Sportscope) RKO Radio 9 mins. Plenty of Action From start to finish, "Steeds and Steers" bristles with action. It's nine minutes of wild and wooly bronco-busting, calf -roping, bull-dogging, with some amazing trick roping by Monty Montana. The rodeo scenes are splendidly devised and consistently punctuated with alert and effective photography. Outlets can't go wrong on this reel. The only thing monotonous about it is that it reminds the onlooker of the regularity with which Producer Frederic Ullman, Jr., turns out novel, quality shorts which strike popular fancy with the impact of a direct hits. out" with amusing effect, and they range from historical queries to those arent the movies. Clifton Fadiman, of course, does the questioning. Footage compares favorably in interest and subject matter with its predecessor units, and should be well received by audiences in all stands. 13 New Pictures Start In Hollywood Studios (Continued from Page 1) and Ruth Ford. Jack Fier producing with Edward Dmytryk directing. I Also "Royal Mounted Patrol," feaj turing Charles Starrett and Russell j Hayden, with Lambert Hillyer directl ing for Producer William Berke. At M-G-M: Nine shooting, including "H. I M. Pulham," with Hedy Lamarr,, Robert j Young, Ruth Hussey and Van Heflin; King Vidor handles the chore. At Paramount: Eight shooting including "Fly by Night" featuring Nancy Kelly and ! j Richard Carlson, with Robert Siodmak direct1 ing for Producer Sol C. Siegel. [ At Republic: Four shooting, including "Gobs In Blue" featuring William Lundigan. Jane ] Frazee, Jane Kean, Mae Clarke and Cliff I Nazarro. Albert Rogell directing for Producer Albert J. Cohen. Also "Death Valley Outlaws" with Don Barry, with George Sherman | directing and producing. At RKO: Six shooting, including "Scat-: tergood Meets Broadway," featuring Guy Kibbee and Mildred Coles. Christy Cabanne j directing for Producer Jerrold T. Brandt ; also "Land of the Open Range" featuring Tim Holt, with Ray Whitley; Edward Killy directing. Bert Gilroy producing; also "A Date With the Falcon," featuring George Sanders and Wendy Barrie. Irving Reis directs for Producer Howard Benedict. At Fox: Nine shooting, including "Confirm or Deny," featuring Don Ameche, Joan Bennett, Roddy McDowall and Arthur Shields. Fritz Lang directs. Milton Sperling produces. At Universal: Eight shooting including "Paris Calling" with Elisabeth Bergner and Randolph Scott. Director, Edwin L. Marin. Producer, Benjamin Glazer; also "Overland Mail," with Edward Tyler directing for Associate Producer Henry MacRae. At Warners: Eight shooting including "All Through the Night," featuring Humphrey Bogart, Judith Anderson, Peter Lorre, Frank McHugh, William Demarest and Conrad Veidt. Vincent Sherman directs for Associate Producer Jerry Wald. At Monogram : Three shooting including "Ghosts In the Night," featuring Bela Lugosi, Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall. Bobby Jordan, and Dorothy Short. Phil Rosen directs for Producer Sam Katzman. "The Man Who Changed the World" Metro 11 mins. Excellent Subject Tremendously interesting, not only because of its broad historical and industrial aspects and the results in the world today, but because of the insight into the delving of the human mind for advances in methods of living, this short is one of the finest that Carey Wilson has produced. It depicts the birth of the spinning "jenny" resulting from an accident. The inventor, James Hargreaves, is unknown to ] day, but he might well be the man who did more to change the world than any soldier ruler. "The Alley Cat" Metro 10 mins. Funny Cartoon A number of laughs are contained in the Technicolor cartoon. Hugh Harman produced. It depicts an alley cat that goes in for a brief fling of a high life in the apartment of a very beautiful, and very snooty young female cat. The alley cat's brief interlude in the apartment leaves the place a shambles. "Dumb Like a Fox" Columbia 7 mins. Amusing Fable Cartoon Gay, animated tale of the puppy fox hound who decides to go out and do his own fox hunting against ttie better wishes of Papa Hound. Pup runs into a sly, old fox who misleads him about the true identity of a fox. Pup later returns with a skunk on a leash under impression he has a fox to sorrowfully learn what his nose should have told him better. (Continued from Page 1) | Home, formerly vice-president of j Walt Disney, Inc., was joining 20thFox in an important capacity. McCarthy had been the advertising and publicity chief for the last I 10 years. In announcing his resignation, he said: "Certain problems I have arisen in the operation of the company which, to me, appear inj soluble. Therefore, although I have ' a contract which has two more years to run, I asked Mr. Kent to relieve me of this obligation as this would appear to be for the best interests of all concerned. Mr. Kent, with whom I have been associated for nearly 25 years, accepted my resignation with regret." Bergman formerly was advertising manager of Columbia Pictures. Garbett In New Alliances Des Moines, la. — E. M. Garbett, operator of the Varsity, Forest and Avalon Theaters has entered into partnership agreements with the owners of the Iowa theater at Emmeetsburg and the Rivoli at Elkader. Garbett will book the shows for the houses from his Des Moines headquarters. Indiana to Reopen Indianapolis — Workmen are busy getting the Indiana Theater ready for the Fall opening Aug. 8. The air-conditioned system is being readied for action and the house is being thoroughly renovated. "The Cuckoo I. Q." Columbia ll/i mins. Funny Satire on Quiz Programs An entertaining burlesque on radio quiz programs is this Color Rhapsody Technicolor subject. Professor fires questions at our hero who answers them all wrong. For each mists ke, he gets banged around by some weird mechanical contraption. Of course, the professor is far from a mental marvel. "Your Last Act" Metro 11 mins. Interesting Short Latest issue in the John Nesbitt Passing Parade series, this one is up to the series' high standard in every respect. Subject deals with strange wills that have been filed. The material is highly interesting, the j staging and direction good and the ! narrative is excellent. "Information Please" (No. 11) RKO Radio 10 Mins. j Good Audience Stuff Intriguing character of this famed quiz reel series continues unabated via Issue No. 11 in which Jan Struther, famed femme novelist of Britain, is the guest star, matching her store of knowledge against the "regulars," the Messrs. Oscar Levant, John Kieran, and Franklin P. Adams. Several of the questions are "acted ttAGS TO Rtc»s€ ■ ALAN BAXTER • MARY CARLISLE JEROME COWAN -MICHAEL MORRIS • RALF HAROLDE PAUL PORCASI • SUZANNE KAAREN • EDDIE A< Director: Joseph Kane Original Screen Play by James Webb A REPUBLIC PICTURE E >E FF