The Film Daily (1930)

Thursday, September 18, 1930 THE -<^2 DAILY Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — .€)— The Hollywood Song Situation gARRETT C. KIESLING, who knows a great deal about motion pictures, and likes to do more than a trifle of investigating as to why certain things are so in connection with them, has just finished a job of looking over the musical situation. According to his records, more than two thousand new songs were written last year, and most of them were made known to the public by way of the screen. And he finds that the day of few popular songs and staggering successes of single hits are gone forever. But greater total sales of sheet music and moderate single successes will be the custom from now on indefinitely. Martin Broones, another musical authority, said in this connection: "We never again will have songs that sell three million copies, as was the case with 'When You Know You're Not Forgotten' and 'After the Ball.' Greatly increased production of sheet music caused by musical talking pictures has resulted in greater variety and increased competition. As a result, for each song of twenty years ago that sold to three million today we have ten which pass five hundred thousand." One of the latest of the musical films to come out of the West, "Love in the Rough" contains the first contributions to the micraphones of Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields. This song-writing team, responsible for "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" and other hits, was about the last to leave New York's once famous Tin Pan Allev for the California cinema center. New York Telegram TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN :the m MlSKlft Of IIIMIOM Sol Lesser forms booking company in Los Angeles. Admits connection with National Booking. * * * National Association seeking to placate labor bodies who object to propaganda in films. * * * Executive committee appointed for National Association. »k months to collect em in dusty 7 ST. LOUI '"PHIS RADIO feature, "Cimarron," ought to get a good play from newspaper editors, for it graphically portrays the development of the printing art the story calls for an old fashioned printing plant in Oklahoma 'way back in the '80's wonder how many modern newspapermen ever saw a clam jaw press, Jake shears, shooting stick these and many other exhibits are seen in the pix, and should delight the souls of oldtimers it took months to collect 'em in dusty old backwoods printing plants the collection and turn it over * * QRANT WITHERS with his soon come East for their fir: the town seems to know a lot about them McKellar & Platts have an innovation with some new German type styles that should do a lot to pep up m. p. advertising copy Spencer Tracy, who gives the sort of performance you won't forget in the legit hit, "The Last Mile," makes his first feature talkie appearance in Fox's "Up the River" Sid Weiss and Ed Hurley, exploiting "Hot Rhythm," the sepia revue, are having their troubles every Wednesday each member of the cast has to be called on the phone and reminded that there is a matinee performance A/f. A. SCHLESSINGER, prexy of General Talking Pictures, recently was a guest at the Breakfast Club in Hollerword he presented them with a Phonofilm to entertain 'em in their morning ceremonial of inhaling ham-and-eggs George Spelvin sez that the gag men are having tough sledding these days, for they can't pinch their stuff from the funny mags now that the talkies call for situation gags instead of titles and George opines that many of them are on the point of becoming creative * * * * [~)0 YOU Remember When? John Barrymore made his first film, "On the Quiet," at the Famous Players stude "De Luxe Annie" was the first pix to play two Broadway houses simultaneously, the Rialto and Loew's New York, beating the record of "Hell's Angels" by some 12 years Harry Reichenbach was ballyhooing "Tarzan of the Apes" for National Film Corp the first process for synchronizing music and film, known as Filmusic, was tried out over a decade ago at the Alhambra in Losang Samuel Goldwyn tried to switch picture production to Pasadena by offering to build his studio there if the local Chamber of Commerce would raise 100 grand, but they turned it down, the goops! The cops chased the boys off the film curb at 729 Seventh Avenoo and put a crimp in their business Dorothy Dalton created a sensation when she appeared in an H. H. Van Loan picture with bobbed hair Hopp Hadley gave a private showing of "The Vow," calling it a "cinema opera." A/TEYER LESSER, president of Blaine-Thompson Advertising Agency, handling Warners' national newspaper advertising, is fishing at the Thousand Isles J. Bernadou, of the Pathe accounting dep't, who is the Democratic nominee for road commissioner of New Jersey, received a Rand McNally road map of the U. S he sez that it is complete in every detail except for ferry schedules Ed McEvoy, Pathe Eastern division manager, is steadily lowering his golf score pretty soon it will be low enough to play on minnie courses.' * * * * 'TTIE GLOBE marquee touts "Leathernecking" as "Marines on Rampage in Comedy Bombshell" describing a feature on a marquee in one line is an achievement Francis Ziesse, biz rep for the cameramen's union, is so busy these days he looks like twins A flock of Broadway char acters, including a typical p. a., are featured in the new novel "Hangover" now the rage Clifford Brooke is back from a New England vacashe and will soon start directing on a big assignment EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas € Smash Campaign Staged for "Girl of Golden West" A N effective campaign was staged in and around Los Angeles for the engagement of "The Girl of the Golden West," First National version of the drama by David Belasco, with Ann Harding, James Rennie, Harry Bannister and others featured. Perhaps the most strikingly imaginative stunt in the entire campaign was a "gold hunt" held on Hollywood Blvd. It was announced that a bag containing $100 in gold would be hidden in one of the first story windows of the Hollywood theater building. The sidewalks around the theater were jammed with searchers. The winner was Harold Wooldridge, and the bag of gold was duly awarded to the finder. The posters and window displays featured principally Ann Harding and the playing card angle of the story, based on the famous scene in which the heroine plays showdown with the villain to save the life of the man she loves. Above the main entrance of the theater was a huge roulette wheel with the face of Ann Harding in the center. An old-fashioned stage coach was sent through the streets, the passengers being dressed in the styles of frontier days. On the side of the stage coach was the message in large letters: "We're on our way to greet Ann Harding in 'The Girl of the Golden West' at Warner Brothers Hollywood Theater." Particularly noteworthy were the ad lay-outs in the papers. The picture has been held over for a second week. First National 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: Sept, 18 Greta Garbo C. Gardner Sullivan Edna Rollins Will Stanton