The Film Daily (1931)

THE Monday, February 2, 1931 Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — 0= More Pantomime And Less Talk UAVE producers and directors so quickly forgotten the technique of pantomime that was developed through necessity to a degree of a fine art in the cycle of silent pictures? Fast •dialogue and rapid sequence were the first orders on the debut of talking pictures. Bad photography and lack of action was an accompanying product. Photography has improved together with recording, but action and pantomime have been neglected for verbose situations. Unnecessary dialogue obscures the important "lines." J. L. Warner, in making an important picture for the European market, insisted that the picture to be a success in its fullest degree should clearly tell itself in pantomime as the distribution of this product would be in several countries. The finished product was a revelation to those who did not understand the language in which the dialogue was spoken. They had grasped almost every detail of the story. The pantomime injected was so forceful that each character visually explained themselves, only the "off stage" dialogue confused. In rehearsing a scene for a forthcoming production, the director and the star were dismayed by the lack of feeling the situation carried. Groping, they fell upon the idea of going through the situation as they would have done if making a silent picture. It was a happy thought. Fifty per cent of the dialogue was eventually eliminated and the rest was conveyed by pantomime. The result was. a scene replete with charm and naturalness. The usual ad lib dialogue was not missed and the important lines sparkled because of the spacing afforded. — he Roy Stone A FILM FACT A DAY Hollywood studios will reduce production costs $70,000,000 this year. -%tl DAILV • • • THINGS WE Never Thought Worth Mentioning Till Now that February 5 marks the most Significant Event in the history of the film biz, although entirely overlooked by the industry, for this Thursday is the 37th anniversary of the Real Birth of the Motion Picture on that date in 1894 Jean A. Le Roy successfully projected motion pictures for the first time in Riley Brothers' Optical Shop on Beekman St. in New York that you should never throw away the juice in a can of pineapple, for it has orange juice licked when mixing a Bronx that Tom Namack, Warners' trade paper contact, was one of the first advance p.a.'s for Ringling's Circus, requiring him also to be a good tumbler and acrobat to cover the long jumps from town to town that Herman Robbins, head man for National Screen, passes out the Best cigars and so we never pass his office without dropping in that if exhibs find the name of Carmen Barnes, the new Paramount star, too long for the marquee lights, they can shorten it to Car Barnes that Eileen Brennan, Pathe's first lady of the land-on-the-front-page, claims she still loves her husband that Jesse James Goldburg always signs his name in full like the original bandit, and does his best to live up to tradition that some film guys with good chest development got that way from patting themselves on the back that a Telephotograph of this yere kolyum was sent to the Coast by Mark Luescher, who wanted the studio folks to know what we thought of the "Cimarron" Washington swagger opening that what often passes for a Miami sunburn is nothing but a barbershop sun-ray bath to alibi the washed-out look of the morning after the night before that Bill Black of the Screen Ad. Associashe doesn't want it KNOWN that he won't be a bachelor much longer or should we be exiled? that if marriages are made in Heaven, a lotta disillusioned couples are perfectly satisfied to go to hell * * * * • • • THE NEWSPAPER CLUB will stage its Old Timers* Night on Feb. 28 at the Astor Hotel so for the measly sum of five smackers on that august occasion the Committee assures us you can hobnob with the gent who works for Keats Speed, to say nothing of Hearstites, Pulitzerites, Reedites, MacFaddenites, Pattersonites, Ochsites, Scripps-Howardites, Hitites and Sit Tights The Club has moved into its new quarters at the Claridge Hotel incidentally, Bob Farrell has designed a slick poster herald for the annual shindig, showing a newspaper gent sitting on top of the world pounding his typewriter, with reproductions of facsimile names of all the big Youessay newspapers surrounding him Bob should be employing his poster talents in the film biz * * * * • • • • CHARLIE GRISWOLD will represent the Roxy on the Zone No. 2 committee of the Players' and Patrons' Jubilee Week, otherwise known as the annual N.V.A. Drive A motion picture has again been employed in a big court proceeding, this time saving the John Wanamaker estate a li'l matter of ten million berries on an inheritance tax by proving the great merchant was of sound mind when he made his will Out in Chi films worth $35,000 belonging to Julius Rosenwald were stolen and a Hollerword producer claims one of his films was stolen, but he's not blaming the Guntown bandits Mike Simmons sends a postcard showing a "Simmons Beach" at Bermuda where he's visiting, but wasn't a bit surprised that his fame has reached so far * * * * • • • UNIVERSAL needed a twin to resemble John Boles in "Seed," so sent out an s.o.s. by radio the result was 56 pairs of twins but nary a one that looked like Jawn Ben Blake claims the industry record for turning out ten one reelers in three days Ben also writes, constructs gags, directs, cuts his own celluloid if there's any unemployment in this biz, blame Ben Sydney A. Phillips has published a li'l vest pocket almanac which is a perpetual calendar for 100 years, no less but who among us will live to wear it out? EXPLOITETTES A. Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas € Special Showing for 'Abraham Lincoln" 'TO exploit the showing of "Abraham Lincoln" at the Auditorium in Baltimore, Md., Fred Schanberger, Jr., manager, invited 15,000 prominent city officials and leading educators to attend a special preview. The mayor and all city officials were present. The mayor made a speech from the stage of the theater after the performance in which he praised General Lee and Abraham Lincoln. Invitations to school principals and teachers were sent out through the mayor's office. 75,000 halfrate tickets were distributed to scholars and teachers. — United Artists * * * Special School Matinee for "All QuieV ^HEN "A» Qu'et" P'ayed at the Tivoli, Mishawaka, Ind., Manager Harry Easton put on a special school matinee for the kiddies. This theater usually only runs matinees on Saturday, but staged this one on a Wednesday. The principal of the high school had the teachers make announcements in all class rooms and permitted the posting of announcements and heralds on the bulletin boards. The woman angle was stressed in this campaign. — Universal « « « » » » 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 : February 2 Benny Rubin Frank Zucker Ethel Doherty Bobby North Ralph Ceder