The Film Daily (1930)

THE Tuesday, July 8, 1930 Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion €) O Sees Value of National Film Library X behalf of the motion picture producers and distributors of America," said Will H. Hays, "I have offered to the United States Government our aid in collecting and permanently preserving the picture records of historical events now available and which will hereafter be made by the American motion picture industry." This is one of the best of the many public utterances that the Czar of all the Cinemas has made. If he will only go through with his plan for a National Film Library, he ■will be performing an act of tremendous importance to future generations, and will cause many of us in the present obsolescent generation to take back some of the scurrilous things we've said about him. There must be a National Film Library. There ought to be a great many of them, spotted about the country in what salesmen call the "Key Cities." They ought not to be inaccessible, like the governmental archives in the vaults in Washington. They should be within easy reach of the general public. Each library should contain prints of all the more significant photoplays produced in Hollywood or elsewhere, and also a large collection of cuttings from newsreels. Furthermore, there should be a projection room in which patrons of the library may view such films as they may wish to see revived. A patron might ask to be shown "The Covered Wagon," or the Denip't) -Firpo fight, or "The Kid," or the second inauguration of President Wilson, or he might even want to see "Flaming Youth," for that should certainly have a place on the shelves as representative of a definite phase of ancient civilization. — Robert E. Sherwood in N. Y. "Evening Post" There are 400 film houses in Denmark, of which only 270 operate daily. ■c£tk OAILV Along The Rialto with PhilM. Daly YV/HAT FORMER professional baseball player is now a big film exec ? C. J. Scollard is the name, the executive vice-prexy of Pathe C. J. took a flier at professional baseball after graduating from collitch but he soon developed a yen for big business, and was with the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co. for seven years then he hit one of the big secrets for becoming a successful film man — he associated himself with Joseph P. Kennedy he also took a coupla special courses in the advertising and trust company business he is one of the exponents of the new school of film execs who believe that the limelight should play on the product and not on the individual a new showman credo that in the case of Pathe is working — and how JJTOWARD HUGHES of "Hell's Angels" fame is financing development of a steam-driven automobile young Howard is strong for inventions, for his father made the Hughes millions patenting an oil-drilling kit Buddy Myers, a Tiffany sound engineer, has synchronized matrimonially with Therese Allen, to whom he became engaged while working on "Why Marry?" another instance of the power of suggestion. Definitions: Press Book — -What the publicity department thinks the studio did, but didn't Bert Adler is back in town after a sojourn among the Southern cities, including Nashville, Louisville and Cincinnati, on behalf of Fanchon & Marco. * * * * T3EN TURPIN is now working with one of the famous Colonel W. L. Swain's famous tent shows we understand the ingenious and resourceful colonel is figuring on a novelty wire act, with Ben using two wires while he does a cross-word puzzle the act will be called "The Cock-Eyed Whirl" * * * * A FILM MAN returning from Europe was nicked for heavy customs duties on stuff he "forgot" to declare but what is puzzling him is how the customs inspector dug the articles out of his trunks and told him the history of each piece evidently he isn't wise to the fact that clerks in stores in London, Paris, Berlin, etc., relay the info of purchases by Americans to the New York Customs, and get a 10 per cent cut on the penalties and sometimes you brag to a steward about sneaking something in, and if he doesn't like the tip you hand him, he's liable) to turn you in for a 10 per cent divvy, also the way to fix 'em all is to spend your dough on home products and tip the steward with a smile when you say au revoir * * * * W/TLLIAM A. SEITER has hung up a record of directing 17 pictures in two years for First Nash with his completion of "Going Wild" At the Paramount Hollywood studio they changed Bh Rogers' name to Frank, and at the christening ceremonies Maurice Chevalier's leading lady, Frances Dee, cracked a "breakaway" bottle filled with dirt from the lot over the kid's head a rather dirty crack, eh, wot? Elinor Millard, the stage beauty who appeared in "Burlesque" and "Almanac," busts into pictures with a featured role in Pathe's "Beyond Victory" Jimmy Fisher of the Hays office is Mister Millard, if you want to put it that way They are now calling Harry Lauder the intimate comedian because he's so close. * * * * APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH, the master print of First Nash's "The Dawn Patrol" was flown from the Coast for the opening at the Winter Garden A Babbletown songwriter spent his vacation looking over some rivals' music sheets, trying to get a change of air As a result of being struck in the eyes with a racquet while playing tennis, Warren Nolan of United Artists had to stay home yesterday. Several stitches were necessary on the wound. * * * * QHE WAS so dumb that the thought needle beer was something they served at sewing circles. EXPL0ITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas € Radio Questionnaire for "Big Fight" CTAGED a questionnaire contest in which radio listeners answering correctly three questions out of the five submitted will be given free passes to the Globe for "The Big Fight." The questions, offered over Station WGBS, are: Who is considered the father of modern scientific boxing? Who was the first British champ to fight in America? What are the measurements of a boxing ring? Name four prize fighters who are also actors? Which former heavyweight champ comes of Mormon parentage? — Sono-Art * * * Window Displays for "Swing High" 'TIE-UPS with the Branko toy and the Mondaine vanity case afforded a great number of window displays in the principal drug stores of the Times Square district the cit? . so dres nently the High" at the Cohan. i athe Motoeamera. through tie-ups with their dealers in the city, also secured windows in excellent locations displaying the Pathe cameras and projectors together with the "Swing High" accessories. —Pathe MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays: July 8 Ernest Beaumont Clarence Badger Dorothy Coburn Joseph Jackson