The Film Daily (1930)

Wednesday, July 9, 1930 DAILY Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion €) ualifications for n Actor's Career pEW of the young men and women who come to me for advice possess the attributes for an actor's career, especially in talkers. In fact, in most cases the deficiencies are so pronounced that they can be advised immediately to launch upon some ther field of endeavor. It may be personal appearance, defective speech, absence of personality or some other obvious factor that would handicap the youth. So many qualifications are desirable, that comparatively few young people possess them all. It seems unnecessary to me, however, to categorically discourage all young people against the profession. It offers fine rewards to the man or woman who is a success, and I believe the future holds more promise than has the past for good actors. The work I not to be undertaken lightly, however. Granted one possesses he dozen-and-one natural attributes that are requisite to success, there is a long trial of hard word, self-denial, disappointments and application between iim and the coveted goal. If a poung man or woman have the lecessary, qualifications and a determination to work hard and mceasingly, there is no reason why he or she should be adrised against the profession of icting. They ought to be given ill the encouragement possible. W e need all the good actors we an get. — Jean Hersholt Fifteen out of eighteen leading Danish film theaters have American sound equipment. Along The Rialto with PhilM. Daly HON'T PITY the hardworking home office official (oh, indeedy, there are such) who can't get away for that European trip or whose extra-territorial duties, so to speak, dont permit of a few weeks' relaxation in H'lywood he has learned to develop home diversions f'r instance, look at A. K. Kirkpatrick of Educational he built hisself a swimming pool in his "backyard," and as the result of that experience is figuring on taking out a license as an engineer with that job completed, he is now building a tennis court to while away the week-ends so A. K. has proved conclusively to himself that this vacation bunk is all a state of mind many a good coat of tan has been accumulated in a Bronx backyard, or on a Flatbush roof and consider how much more convenient these methods are C1G NEUFELD is having a lotta fun making a series of comedies featuring a family of chimpanzees for Tiffany The General Electric Company has completed a film, "The Electric Ship," showing all the comforts and joys aboard the palatial electric liner "Virginia" We are now in the midst of the open season for shooting these Considerate Vacationists you know the kind while you perspire at your desk, they send you beautiful postcards showing cool lakes or windswept mountains, and INVARIABLY say: "Wish you were here" • g-r-rr * * * * ROBERT De LACY has discovered the vast technical differences between making sound and silent pictures on location during his direction of Pathe's "Pardon My Gun" in the days of silents, a working crew of 35 would have sufficed, but his sound film required 92 running the cable from the mike to the "mixers" alone calls for a small army of men * * * * JhVERY YOUTH in the land would like to have been in the shoes of Paul Siple, the Boy Scout who was picked for that South Pole trip with Commander Byrd he related some of his experiences over WPCH the other day, being interviewed by Elvie Hitchings, who also took Willard Van der Veer, the ace cameraman of the expedition, over the radio hurdles at WGBS yesterday It isn't generally known that Lon Chaney and Lee Moran first came to California as a dancing (cam in the Ziegfeld show, "The Girl in the Kimono'' ]y[AJOR ROSS WHITOCK of Pathe's commercial department was reported to have died over the week-end, someone mistaking a similar name in a headline but Ross sez he is good for many gallons yet William Stoermer, production executive and vice-president of Colorcraft Corp., and his bride, Madeliene Sylvester Doll, have returned to New York following a trip through the Berkshires and to Atlantic City.... ....Tammany Young has completed a part in "Beautiful But Dumb", Paramount short Ruth Gordon, Broadway stage celebrity, leaves today for the Coast, where she will be the guest of Charles McArthur and his wife, Helen Hayes, another stage star * * * * A Director Almost Has A Perfect Day! He had directed THE perfect picture they had given him a pip scenario allowed him to pick his own cast the supervisor had been laid up in the hospital, so there were no retakes or changes it had proved a box-office wow and now, to crown it all. THE FILM DAILY critics' poll was rumored to have selected him as one of the Ten Best Dirt (tors "Can you imagine a more perfect day?" sez he to his assistant and forgetting the training of a lifetime. the yes-man enthusiastically answers: "NO!" so the director ups and shoots him, sobbing: "I just knew some chump would go and spoil it all." * * * * THE HUSBAND of a gwn me wife ia one who won't be happy till she (jets it. EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas € Puts Up Billboards on Miniature Course jyjTNIATURE billboards on a miniature course shows one way to cash in on these growing pests. W. H. Mahoney, of the Publix Strand, New Orleans, gave three passes daily for the lowest scores and in return was permitted to place signs at the interest and at different points on the course advertising "Spring Is Here." He used it only on the one picture, but the gag probably is good for a repeat if the theater finds it worth while, though the value depends largely upon the number of patrons who use the course. — Epes Sargent * * * One-Cent Sale Builds Business J-TERE'S a gag, tried cut by George Frantz, manager of the Fox, Montrose, Colorado, with good results. He adopted one of the prize advertising stunts of drug and specialty store fame, that of the one cent sale. For every ticket bought at the regular price the second could be purchased for an additional penny. Thus one adult ticket at forty cents made it possible for the patron to purchase two for forty-one. Childrens tickets were sold on the same basis. One at the special kiddies price, the other for the additional cent. —"Note" 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 9 Fred Humes Julius J. Hess Clarence Geldert Louise Carver