The Film Daily (1931)

(Tuesday, January 6, 1931 NEWS of the DAY Columbus — The Knickerbocker has )een taken over by Wm. A. Panake. Princeton, W. Va— The Royal has >een taken over by F. F. Van Court. Orrville, O. — John Dike has assumed the management of the jrand following an agreement with Z. P. Mott of Wooster for a subease of the houses for a three-year >eriod. Gilmore City, la. — The Metro was lestroyed by fire Jan. 1. Loss is stimated at $7,500. Des Moines — Mayer Lou Elewitz, lanager of the Strand, and Marie Clein of Omaha, were married Jan. in Omaha. Atlanta — Lionel Keene has been lected president of the Atlanta Maonic Club. Garner, la. — The Garner, being reeled here, is to be completed by larch 1. It will have a capacity of !)0. Charles Marks, formerly opera)r of the Tuxedo in St. Paul, Minn., as been selected as manager. Denver — The Cedaredge at CedarIge, Colo., and the Saratoga, Sara>ga, Wyo., have installed sound. Portland, Ore. — Charles E. Couche, distant to J. J. Parker, president of ox Portland Theaters, has been asgned to the Paramount. He will art a new stage policy of Fanchon id Marco units on New Year's Eve. Kansas City — Bill Levy, who was rmerly in the film business here, is j>w vice-president of the Federal an and Storage Co. Milwaukee — This city is now the routing center for Fanchon & Marunits and Harry Singer is manager the district. He will be assisted ■ Miss Flo Kelly, costume designer d supervisor. EN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN =5 THE NnsMrat | RIM DOM ■JOTS ■•> W "^^ All Till TIMI Murray Garson plans monster stu > near Jacksonville, Fla. * * * Treasury Dep't decides to tax state ;ht buyers as exhibitors. * • * B. S. Moss Theater Corp. formed. pital, $1,500,000. * * * City of Chicago bans all films in kich criminals and their activities ipear. • • • WE HAVE been waiting years and years for someone to explain Charlie Chaplin's remarkable popularity that goes on perennially he is the only screen star in the history of the biz who has been able to stay off the screen for several years' running, and come back stronger than ever his forthcoming "City Lights" has bookings running into the millions THAT'S Popularity, gents also Mystery how does he do it? admitting that he's the greatest comedian the films have produced also the outstanding master of the pantomimic form, which is the underlying and basic principle of pictures-in-motion and ALWAYS will be, talkies or no talkies still all this does not fully account for Charlie's phenomenal perennial popularity not to keep you longer in suspense, we're going to let you in on the Big Secret Mister Chaplin is the original Greta Garbo of the screen Mysterious Elusive and he's been pulling this Greta Garbo stuff for about two decades, but nobody ever gave him credit for it he proves it in his latest decision he has positively declined to go on the radio although he can command a higher price for an international radio broadcast than any single individual in America which decision proves that Charlie is endowed with perspicacity, business judgment and horse sense "familiarity breeds contempt" is an old wheeze that still wheezes a load of Truth which screen stars overlook when they go on the air there is something psychological in the sound of the Human Voice that dissipates Romance, Charm, Mystery, Elusiveness is Greta Garbo as elusive and mysterious now that her Voice can be heard? and why have so many screen idols with good voices crashed since they started to talk in the talkies? so Charlie, the Wisest of 'em All, preserves his Mystery and Elusiveness in "City Lights" by not using his Voice for Charlie knows better than anybody that his great comedy talent alone would not keep him perennially popular * * * * • • • IT PAINS us considerably to give United Artists so much free publicity our Scotch instinct rebels but our journalistic instinct must be stronger so we have blurbed about Charlie Chaplin and now a blurb for Dong Fairbanks, pere because they rate a blurb any time they do anything tbey are individuals who never ape anybody like Napoleon, they ARE Ancestors they set the standards for generations of Imitators just lookit what this Fairbanks person has gone and done he deserts his customary role of a romantic character, and in "Reaching for the Moon" plays a straight American business man and goes over bigger than ever who was that "wise" gent who made the crack about United Artists stars growing ancient and decayed? he should wish t'gawd to decay like Fairbanks and Chaplin * * * * • • • BERNICE CLAIRE is slated to make a personal appearance at the premiere of "Kiss Me Again" at the Warner theater tomorrow eve playing the leading role of "Mile. Modiste," recalls that ancient day in 1905 when Fritzie Scheff created the role originally in Victor Herbert's immortal romance and it is quite possible that Fritzie will be there at the premiere to extend a welcome hand across two decades to Ber nice in the modern screen version We ran across the trail of a Big Mystery every Tuesday a secretive bunch are meeting behind locked doors for luncheon they include A. M. Botsford, Oscar Doob, L. R. Prager, Joel Swenson, Mark Luescher, L. L. Edwards, Gabe York we tried last Tuesday to sneak in as a waiter, but the whole gang up and yelled: "Throw that bum Phil out!" and they did today we try again if successful, stand by for a Terrific Disclosure * * * * • • • MARK LUESCHER is a friend of the li'l pigeons outside his ossif window at Arkayo he has provided a modern pigeon coop with steam heat so if Mark's publicity copy is sometimes spotty, he probably placed it in the wrong file « « « » » » "SPIRIT OF 76TH STREET" is the title of a recently completed satire which Arthur Hurley directed for Vitaphone. In this, Helen Broderick plays a worldly-wise manicurist, who always gets her man. Helen Eby Rock and Lester Crawford are in the supporting cast. Emily Newman of the Paramount studio publicity department is taking a mid-winter vacation at Atlantic City, N. J. Phillips Holmes, having completed his role in "Stolen Heaven" at Paramount's New York studio, leaves for Hollywood on Jan. 6. He will next appear opposite Mary Brian in "Confessions of a Debutante." John Phipps, who is attached to the loading room at Paramount's New York studio, had extensive experience as a stage actor, having started 14 years ago in "City Life," under the management of Wm. A. Brady, at the old Manhattan Opera House. Edward F. Stevenson, president of Visugraphic Pictures is giving a series of lectures on motion pictures as a selling force. Mr. Stevenson will address the students of Syracuse University today and the Elmira Rotary Club tomorrow. Investigation shows that many of the Paramount production staff have unsuspected talent in various lines. For instance, Bill Steiner, besides being a cracker-jack cameraman can also tickle the ivories, the same accomplishment also belonging to Chick Kirk, art director. Willie Hopkins, Special Effects wizard, is also a sculptor and J. Franklin Whitman, beside designing artistic sets, is also a portrait painter. Louis Calhern, recruited from Broadway to play the "other man" in "Stolen Heaven" under George Abbott's direction, is returning to the stage to star in a new play, "Conquest," now in rehearsal. MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best wishes and congratulation! a/e extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays: January 6 Fred Niblo Tom Mix Loretta Young Ludwig Berger