The Film Daily (1930)

THE Tuesday, September 23, 1930 Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion —€)— When They Scrap Pictures 'THERE aren't so many slogans about "bigger and better products" this year in movieland as there were in other seasons. But there are a few movies being made which would indicate that we will probably have a far better output than we have ever had before. When Sam Goldwyn scrapped Ronald Colman's picture with the intent of starting it all over again with another director and another leading lady, it really made a milestone in an industry to which we have all lightly referred as "canned" entertainment. Mary Pickford lightly tossing nearly half a million into the wastebasket wasn't half-way so significant. Mary is a beauty to begin with, and one hears that the camera didn't prove that in its work on the picture scrapped. It's quite in the reckoning that a lovely lady would want her public to go on seeing her as lovely. Aside from that there were' a lot of other things involved— and Mary Pickford was and is in a position where one more bad picture can ring down the curtain for her. Not so Ronald Colman. it's fairly safe to state that no matter what sort of picture Colman turns out, the public will flock to see him. He's fatal so far as women are concerned and most of the men admit that he's one matinee idol who doesn't aggravate them. In fact they'll agree to a strong sneaking liking, if pinned down to it. So the picture will be begun again, with all the things now wrong, wiped out. It's a Lonsdale story, after all, and that meant money to begin w'th. And it's been intended for the greatest Colman appearance of them all. — Mollie Merrick. A v£*} FILM £*• FACT A m r-*" J DAY approximately 55, There are 000 motion picture theaters in the world. -S&Ok DAILV "NJOW WE have "picture odors" to help create the atmosphere of a picture in the minds — er — nose of the audience the Fox theater in San Bernardino tried it out recently on a preview of "Three French Girls" the gag consists of scented pellets with the aroma distributed through the theater's ventilating system in a sequence featuring a haymow, the smell of clover was wafted to the audience here is a slick idea with lots of possibilities when Will Rogers chews gum, let the audience smell Spearmint in a college picture the fans will get the aroma of the raccoon coats and what nice smells we can get on these Russian pictures and what a cinch it will be to put over the atmosphere of those TerryToon animateds, "Chop Suey," "Codfish Balls," "Fried Chicken" and "Hungarian Goulash" if the idea spreads, they will use smells instead of mazdas on the marquees picture titles will become unnecessary now that the fans have become sound-conscious and the novelty has worn off, making 'em smell-conscious seems to be the next big development * * * * ThDDIE CANTOR has gone ritzy since making "Whoopee" he tried to sell Paramount the idea of billing him as Edward Throckmorton Cantor, but his Broadway friends started to call him "Throcky," so Eddie dropped the idea the star chimpanzee in the Tiffany monk comedies will attend a special showing Wednesday for the newspaper crits Floyd Weber, Columbia's office manager, sez it's a boy at his house, and now he's doing some extra figuring Sam Krellberg is back from a European trip of eight months Rudy Vallee was in the Rivoli audience the other night, and when the flappers recognized him it almost stopped the show * * * * /^LAUDE C. EZELL, Warners' general sales manager, is touting the forthcoming "Illicit" as a b. o. wow he has made a $1,000 bet with a prominent exhib that, during the first 30 days following release, it will do more business than any other picture since the advent of Vitaphone talkies that's what you call confidence V. L. Chrisler, scientist with the Sound Section of the Bureau of Standards at Washington, sez that actors 25 years ago were forced to speak louder than they do now, because in those days audiences wore more clothes which absorbed sound volume for the same reason a film audience absorbs more sound in winter than in summer months * * * * ^RTHUR HURLEY, Vitaphone director, is off for a 10-day jaunt in Atlantic City Jane Manner, who prepared Vilma Banky and Lya de Putti for the talkies, will give an address on "Interest in Better Speech Through Talking Pictures" at her studio on Sept. 25 Do You Remember When? Adolph Zukor sponsored a film for the Englewood Hospital fund drive in which several prominent bankers appeared and since that time the bankers got the habit and have been horning into the pix ever since And Doug Fairbanks originally opposed his son entering the films for fear his education might be neglected * * * * J^UCIEN LITTLEFIELD nurses a secret ambition to be a director and he is so much in demand as a character actor that he has to turn down contracts can you beat it? Celluloid, which made motion pictures possible, was first made in 1856 by Alex Parkes of Birmingham, England it was first made transparent in the '70's, and first used for photography by Hyatt Brothers, of Newark, N. J Constance Bennett and Kenneth MacKenna, appearing in Pathe's "Sin Takes a Holiday," often chat in French between scenes, and it has director Paul Stein worried wondering if they are talking about him Lou Guimond of Columbia sprained his ankle on a — get this — minnie golf course! serves him right EXPL0ITETTES -4 Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas C Drawing Kid Patronage Through Mickey Mouse Clubs pLAYING for the kid patronage means building for the future. And one of the best opportunities for bringing the juveniles in regularly are the Mickey Mouse Clubs, which have caught on impressively throughout the country. Like their dads, the average youth likes to be identified with social organizations, and the latest Mickey Mouse stunt is a darb to satisfy that yen. It is a membership card in the local club, a green card with a red imprinted number, that makes it look official and important. There is a space in the center of the card for the imprint of the theater name and address. Chief Mickey Mouse of the local organization attaches his signature in ink to the card above his title, again adding to the "clubby" appearance of the membership. On the reverse side is printed in large type the Mickey Mouse Club Creed, as follows: "I will l>e a square shooter in my home, in school, on the playground, and wherever I may he. I will he truthful and honorahle and strive always to make myself a hetter and more useful little citizen. I will respect my elders and help the aged, the helpless, and children smaller than myself. In short, I will he a good American." — Columbia * * * Laundry Rotos Plug Show f OCAL laundry paid for 1000 rotos on "True to the Navy" for Manager John McKenna of the Lyric, Jackson, Tenn. Clara likes sailors because they look so clean and fresh, the laundry said. — Paramount MANY HAPPY RETURNS Beit wiihea and congratulation! arc cxtend'd by THE FILM DAILY to the following member! of the in duitry, who are celebrating then birthdays: Sept. 23 M. Van Praag A. F. Frederick Ruth Renick