The Film Daily (1931)

I Thursday, January 29, 1931 5 &&*i DAILY ii EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House tor Tabloid Exploitation Ideas 0 Columbia's Nation-Wide Radio Contest On "Dirigible' HPHE public will be given an opportunity to write a complete history of lighter-than-air craft, which will be edited by outstanding persons in the world of aviation, through one of the most unique and extensive radio essay contests ever staged. For eight weeks, commencing Feb. 8 and ending April 8, weekly programs will be produced over stations throughout the United States and Canada consisting of especially recorded programs, and the reading of submitted essays by the contestants themselves. The contest, open to the entire American public, is divided in three classes. Radio stations throughout the country, will also compete for the following awards: Cup to the station receiving the largest number of entries, Cup to the station showing widest range of broadcasting, Cup to the station shi-wing the greatest business increase during the rua of the contest and medals to the stations whose listeners are awarded essay prizes. The entrant in the essay contest may select any phase of epoch that he or she chooses and contribute an essay of not more than five hundred words on the History of "Dirigibles." Judges in the contest are: Lieut. Thomas B. Mulroy, Capt. Lewis A. Yancey, Miss Elinor Smith, Prof. Alexander Klemin, Capt. Frank Hawks, Clarence Chamberlain, Augustus Post, Joe Brandt, Jack Holt and Ralph Graves, stars of the "Dirigible" picture and Frank Capra, the film's director. — Columbia ITHE lltt SI»M Mlk Of HIMIOM Congratulates : HOWARD ESTABRQOK for the intelligence and naturalness of his adaptation and dialogue of Edna Ferber's fine novel, "Cimarron," made into an outstanding screen hit by RKO. No. S of 1931 "Good Deeds" Series • • • IN FAR-OFF India, where native producers make films for potential consumption of a population of 320,000,000, you'd naturally think that the film biz would be booming but it is not for there are only 355 movie houses to cater to this vast territory and the native films ar.e pretty palooka as one of their leading producers points out with startling frankness Mister N. G. Devare, head of Kohinoor Productions, ups and tells the entire India film industry just how lousy it is, and why here are a few gems from his blistering broadside "I have not seen in India a quality picture, including my own simply because we have no studios in the proper sense of the term they are simply a collection of a few pillars to which curtains are attached at intervals to screen off the sunlight they erect a few creaking flats and call them a 'setting' these flats are made of cloth on which any color that can be got cheap is put by a man who styles himself 'Setting Master' he thinks he is the leading authority on Architecture when a director wants a bedroom on the Mohammedan style to suit a picture of the 15th century, the Setting Master rubs off the color from a setting on a social picture used the previous day, puts some other grotesque color on it and asks the director to take his scene a director is considered good or bad according to his speed in completing a picture he watches the footage meter and not the faces of the actors his idea of direction is to expose 2,000 feet and take 20 scenes a day and in condemning others I have condemned myself for why mince matters or shun facts?" Now ain't all this the Height of Frankness a salaam to you, Swami Producer Devare your India pictures may be punk as you admit but you sure can teach our Hollywood boys how NOT to "mince matters and shun facts" which is Something * * * * • • • SAMUEL GOLDWYN, spending the next ten days in our hamlet after arriving from Europe, has mapped out a busy schedule for hisself he is to view 200 screen tests, and supervise production of 30 new ones in a search for players for his new lineup and his silent prayer is that he may find another Vilma Banky that he can really bank on We have before us an invite to the Paramount Publix Empey Ball at the Astor Hotel on Feb. 6 and the Pep Club boys only want 100 smackers for a box aw, put us down for a coupla boxes at that price Charlie Ruggles, one of the best extemporaneous comic speakers this biz has produced, will have the A.M. P. A. boys sputtering their soup all over each other at the Dixie luncheon today so come out and get your vest all greased up while you're laffink your head off, you goof * * * * • • • PETER CLARK, the gent who ends your back-stage worries when he installs his equipment, is marketing a new line he calls it the Elect rolinks a new development in the indoor golf game, which electrically records the distance of your drive and even your putteriest putt it's a darb for the Real Golfer like Ourself aw, g'wan, laugh and show your ill breeding On the Warner theater marquee the bulbs inform: "Joe E. Brown Going Wild Continuous Until Midnight" and after midnight, what? And what a swell chance for someone to grab Arnold Van Leer for a theater supervisor one gent who KNOWS theater management without any if s or maybes • • • GEORGE RONAN, assistant cashier at Pathe home ossif, received a ten-year service pin from treasurer Arthur Poole it seems almost incredible that any gink could last that long witli a film organizashe And there is the gal who's so dumb she thinks a quarterback is a 25-cent refund « « « » » » Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — © — Lasky Sees Hard Times A Boon to Industry "THE hard times of 1930 were the greatest boon that ever came to the motion picture industry. The public's response to talking pictures was so great and over-whelming, that I have not a doubt that for a time the business was almost too easy, producers were getting 'soft.' Then came the 1930 depression. Hard times were a challenge. The situation could not be met by simply spending more money; it could only be met by the use of more brains, more energy more showmanship. This emergency brought to the front a new and brilliant personnel and, in addition, gave new life to the old personnel. Out of the 1930 turmoil came a confidence not born of prosperity and easy conditions, but a confidence born of achievement. We learned once again the truth of the old showman slogan: 'It's always a good season for good shows.' The industry learned once and for all that to coast with the season was to court disaster. The result is being reflected in the new productions now being released by the major companies. — Jesse L. Lasky MANY HAPPY RETURNS Beit wishes and congratulation! are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the Industry, who are celebrating theit birthdaya : January 29 Earl G. Gulick Arthur Clayton Albert Conti