The Film Daily (1930)

DAILY Thxirsday, January 2, 1930 Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion € • THEIR FIRST JOBS PAUL STEIN engagement with Max Reinhardt in Berlin A British Plea for Product To Keep Unwired Houses Open WHAT strikes the big men of the industry as a matter of secondary importance, the supply of siLent pictures for the houses which are not yet wired, is actually, to the halls concerned, a question of life or death. The big circuit houses and the leading kinemas throughout the country are running talkies; those of the next rank of importance are installing equipment as quickly as ever they can. What remains? A tremendous number of small houses which have not the slightest prospect of being able to afford the expense of a high-class equipment. What we have to recognize is that these halls are really entitled to continue. Their proprietors form the majority of the C.E.A. membership, and they are essentially the people who need its protection most. Until they can be provided with sound installations of good quality and low price they must run on silent films. "Kinematograph Weekly," London Screen Has Gained, Not Lost, By the Addition of Sound THE vast majority of intelligent observers, who go to the movies regularly and appreciate them, will now cheerfully concede that not only has the screen lost nothing by the addition of sound but it has gained a great deal and stands to gain a great deal more. Hollywood has had to work terrifically hard to achieve this recognition, and be it said that Hollywood has worked with thoroughly unexpected and uncharacteristic intelligence. Robert E. Sherwood in "New York Evening Post" Along The Rialto with Phil M. Daly, Jr. You know, a good number of years ago if some fellow made a name for himself in a big way or other, the community or other generally named a cigar, a street or avenue after the dear fellow — but in these modern times it's different. Fannie Brice, in the U. A. "Be Yourself," pitches Otto Kahn the berry in the form of labelling a soHg after him, titled "Is Something the Matter With Otto Kahn?" Monte Blue and Joe E. Brown, two of Hollywood's favorite sons, are still lingering around Jimmy Walker's city 4> * * • Again she is going to blossom forth, but not on the screen this time, Marilyn Miller, that gorgeous morsel, will attend the premiere of F. N.'s "No, No, Nanette" at the Strand, tomorrow. Vina Delmar has been corraled by Warners to write originals for Vitaphone specials and will shortly shove off for the Coast * * • * Two Mack Sennett comedies are playing on Broadway with indefinite run pictures, "Scotch" with Bevan and Clyde is at the Geo. M. Cohan with "Blaze O'Glory" and "Uppercut O'Brien" with Andy Clyde and Harry Gribbon is doing its stuff with "Party Girl" at the Gaiety Harold J. Mirisch, formerly with the Warner home office, has been transferred to the Metropolitan division under Harry L. Charnas, general manager. Mirisch will work on booking for Warner houses * • • • Eddie Dowling, whose second picture, "Blaze O'Glory" is the attraction at the Geo. M. Cohan, is one of Rhode Island's favorite sons. Little Rhody, the smallest state in this great big land of ours, hasn't fallen down on the job of producing actin' material, providing Geo. M. Cohan, Ruth Clifford, Jane Winton, Kate Price, Rae Samuels, etc., etc * • • • One of the snappiest house organizations which Uncle Sam's mailmen bring into our office with regularity is "Now," edited by Eddy Eckles, with K W. Calvin as ye associate ed. Frank Whitbeck, director of advertising for West Coast Theaters, whose publication it is, keeps a watchful eye over the works. * * * * George K. Arthur has left St. Louis and now is on the last lap of a vaudeville tour upon completion of which he is scheduled to trek to Europe. The dashing George last appeared in M-G-M's "Chasing Rainbows." * * * * Word penetrates Times Square from Paramount's Long Island studio that "He Was Her Man" is the new title given Gilda Gray's two-reel talker produced as "Frankie and Johnny." Dudley Murphy did the megaphoning Harry Green, who plays the title role in "The Kibitzer," will send his voice over the ether via the Columbia system Saturday night during the Paramount-Publix hour * 4' « 4i BET YOU COULDN'T GUESS WHAT COMPANY GAR NERED THE BIGGEST YEARLY NET? THE FINANCIAL SECTION OF THE FORTHCOMING FILM DAILY YEAR BOOK HAS THE DOPE. JANUARY 2-MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the foUowing members of the industry, who today are celebrating tiieir birthdays Walter Futter D. W. Griffith W. Ray Johnston Allene Ray -AND THAT'S THAT By PHIL M. DALr FRANK WILSTACH has garnered his ninth annual crop of the best similes of the year and shoots us an advance copy. Frank gets as great a kick out of collecting 'em as everybody does in reading 'em. And that's our simile for enjoyment. Now tear into a few pips culled from his "Dictionary of Similes," and get your share of enjoyments. * * * About as safe as leaving your wife in the Navy Yard — Fred Allen. As happy as an old maid being held for ransom. — Anon. Innocent as a bee on a paper flower. — Arthur (Bugs) Baer. No more use than a Roxy pass at the Paramount theater — Jack Alicoate Final as a period. — Louis Monta Bell. As superfluous as a shooting gallery in Chicago. — Ibid. Busting along with all the speed of a spavined snail. — Kenneth Campbell. Overworked as a floorwalker's index finger. — I. Elinson. Shut up as tight as a tabloid columnist at five a. m. — F. P. Adams. Dull as an illustrated lecture on Barnacle Breeding. — Pere Lorentz. Married people have labels . . . just like a trunk on a railway that belongs to somebody. — D. H. Lawrence. As futile as skywriting in Pittsburgh.— Life. He made a clatter like a shower of feathers. — O. O. Mclntyre. Disconcerting as a cross-eyed muddle-winker.— Sidney Munde. Cheerful an' uncomplainin' as a California grape farmer. — Abe Martin. Meek as a glass-eyed wooly lamb. • — Don Marquis. She is thin enough to do handsprings in a flute. — Edward Schackner. About as happy as a toothless guest at a peanut brittle party. — Raymond S. Tompkins. TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN Herbert Hoover's American Relief organization film, "Starvation" to open Jan. 9 in New York. C. B. Price, Inc., secures American distribution of German submarine film. A. S. Black to build new Portland, Me., house. Mary Marsh Allen, prominent English actress, arrives in New York.