The Film Daily (1931)

Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion € Goldwyn Develops A British Complex T SHOULDN'T be at all sur1 prised to learn that Samuel Goldwyn is nourishing a secret ambition to be elevated to the peerage in Great Britain — that he is hoping that King George will summon him almost any day now and make him a Knight Commander of the Bath, at the very least. Mr. Goldwyn is certainly doing the right thing by his British constituents. He has given employment to hordes of English actors, English authors, English supervisors. He has l.aclv Maureen Stanley on his pay roll to see to it that all lorgnettes are held at just the right angle. In his production of "Raffles," he even went so far .is to put on a county cricket match which was the ultimate in authenticity. In his new offering. "The Devil to Pay," by Frederick Lonsdale, he gives us London clubs. London taxis, Waterloo Station, breakfast at Lord Kneeland's and Derby Day at Epsom Downs. And he gives us also fine performances by three talented Britons: Ronald Colman. Fred Kerr, and a wirehaired fox terrier named George. Both Mr. Kerr and George are so superlatively good that they might easily have stolen the picture away from Mr. Colman; but Mr. Colman is one star who is competent to frustrate any attempts at grand larceny by members of his supporting cast.... By wav of holding his franchise in the United States, Mr. Goldwyn has engaged two beautiful American girls, Loretta Young and Myrna Loy, to appear with the English gentlemen in "The Devil to Pay." — Robert E. Sherwood, Bell Syndicate TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN :THE im MWSKHL 01 HIM DOM Famous Players to release "The Bait," Tourneur-made, with Hope Hampton. * * * Famous Players planning one large stock company and series of super specials. * * * Milton Hoffman resigns from Famous Players. • • • FILM CALENDAR for the month of January. Jan. 2, Georgia ratified the U. S. Constitution, 1788.... and in 1879 D. W. Griffith was born, and immediately ratified the Birth of A Nation this also is the day that Frank Wil stach is supposed to send out his 10th annual Dictionary of Similes, but we haven't seen our copy yet Jan. 3, Washington defeated the British at Princeton, N. J., 1777 and Jan. 3, 1930, a lotta exhibs found themselves licked without wired houses, and a lotta other exhibs WITH wired houses found themselves licked with cheap sound systems Jan. 5, Richmond, Va., was burned by the British, 1781 and on this day a year ago Carl Laemmle got square with the British by having himself made a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts of Lunnon Jan. 8, Washington reported his troops at Morristown, N. J., were "almost perishing with want," 1780 and Jan. 8. 1930, the independent producers reported they HAD perished, for the same reason Jan. 11, Alexander Hamilton, statesman, was born 1757 and several years later on that date Chester Conklin, screen comedian, was born but he's made more dough as a screen comic than Alexander made as a statesman Jan. 15, is the usual quarterly dividend date of the American T. & T., which will be paid as usual it is also the usual quarterly dividend date of the Bank of the U. S., which will not be paid as usual Jan. 16, the 18th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution went into effect, 1920 and it will still be in effect this Jan. 16, but not very effectual Jan. 24, gold was first discovered in California, 1848 and on this date some girls and boys will still be discovering it in Hollywood, and some will NOT Jan. 31, about 17,000 B.C., Adam staged the Apple Scene with Eve, which has given Hollywood a lotta ideas for these sexy pix and if Adam and Eve hadn't staged that act, there wouldn't be any movies, or film biz, or ANYTHING in fact, you and I wouldn't be here to discuss the whole silly affair * * * * • • • GORDON WHITE, of Educational, is the only publicity and advertising chief on record who has developed a pergonal fan following he just received two gorgeous silklined neckties from "An Admirer" now all that is worrying Gordon is whether the unknown worshipper is male or female Leo Reisman, whose band is passing out that seductive music at the Paramount, is sending out attractive folios containing some of his hit records James A. Fitz Patrick's traveltalk, "Siam to Korea", had the distinction of being the only short subject on the opening bill with the new Douglas Fairbanks picture. "Reaching for the Moon", at the Criterion * * * * • • • FRED RYLE. chief makeup man at the Fox eastern studio, is basking in the honor conferred on him by Doug Fairbanks Doug thinks Fred is the best in his line in the biz, and goes around telling everybody so Harley Clarke personally selected Fred for the part of Mr. Fear in that prosperity propaganda film, "Mr. Courage and Mr. Fear" Joseph Holton, assistant casting director at the Fox Eastern stude. is always going around closing windows when his fellow-workers protested, Joe explained as follows when he was overseas in France during the war in the American Air Service, he was quartered with an old Frenchman, who would always come into his bedroom and close the window on the hottp«=t nights "Mon Dieu!" the Frenchie would exclaim, "You will catch ze terrible cold." * * * * • • • THE TOP record still stands at this writing that was hung up by the litfht-fingered artist who played one performance at the Paramount theater and collected 11,000 >macker> and modest about it, too unlike most actors, he wouldn't even reveal his identity but mebby under influence of the New Year's conviviality, the sap will have bragged about his achievement they usually do « « « » » » Clocks Give Show Time ■JyfANAGER Ballone, of the Norva Theater, Norfolk, Va. in exploiting "Hell's Angels," arranged a tie-up with Western Union, using all electric clocks with signs in the lower part of the clock reading — " 'Hell's Angels,' at the Norva Theater starts at 11 A.M.; 1 P.M.; 3 P.M.; 5 P.M.; 7 P.M. and 9 P.M. Western Union Time." Also a tie-up was effected with the Yellow Taxi Co., by displaying a sign over the cover of the spare tire stating: "Take this cab to the Norva to see 'Hell's Angels,' cheapest rates, best service." — United Artists * * * Novel Shadow Box Exploits "Derelict" ^ANAGER Jonasson of the Mayfair, Asbury Park, had a large shadow box display built, which he used one week in advance of the showing of "Derelict." The shadow box enclosed a 36"x38" transparency showing a sinking ship. The lighting was arranged so that by means of a flasher system, the S.O.S. of the distressed vessel flashed through the transparency. Connected with the flasher was a buzzer producing the sound of a wireless. — Paramount MANY HAPPY RfTIJRNS Best wishes and congratulations are extended by ThE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays: January 1-2 William Fox William Haines Charles Bickford D. W. Griffith Walter Futter W. Ray Johnston