The Film Daily (1931)

THE Tuesday, February 3, 1931 Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion Producers Still Cling To Star System '"THE frequent complaint that film executives are discarding the star system and depriving the public of their old favorites in favor of new personages, is unfounded. True, the new era of sound pictures has brought a host of new people to the screen and has perforce relegated some former stars to the background, yet there is no disposition to thwart the preferences of cinema patrons by withdrawing favorite actors and actresses. When the accusation is made that personalities are being made secondary to production requirements, the critic overlooks the fact that the boxoffice is the final test of what the public will be given. New technique of the screen has found some former stars inadequate and when new people are engaged for pictures it is merely a reaction to box-office demand. The demand today is for excellence in every phase of picture production. Not only must the cast contain actors and actresses who are pleasing to theater patrons, but they must be presented in a drama that has genuine merit. Each role must be capably enacted and it is often necessary to engage a comparatively unknown player in order to insure a capable performance of a given role. — Lloyd Bacon A total of 10,794 actors and studio workers were injured in production work since 1925. -S&Zk DAILY • • • FILM CALENDAR for the month of February Feb. 3, Horace Greeley, the great journalist, was born, 1811 and the Newspaper Club will have a rebirth today in their new quarters in the Claridge Hotel Feb. 4, Col. Charles Lindbergh was born, 1904 Paul Stein's birthday, too, and he's also been up in the air a lot out in Hollywood Feb. 6, Massachusetts ratified U. S. Constitution, 1788 and Lucille Gleason, the actress, was born, and ratified the event by having her son Russell born on the same day — some years later, of course Feb. 7, the first telephone, made by Thomas A. Watson, for Bell, 1875 this is just a reminder to a lotta film gents with unpaid telephone bills Feb. 8, National Boy Scout Week starts so put on a Scout suit, and be one of the boys Feb. 11, Thomas Edison's birthday, 1847 and Joe E. Brown, screen comic, also born on this date, is sure Edison was born just so he could put Joe's name in his Mazda lights Feb. 12, Lincoln's birthday, 1809 and United Artists will be peeved if all you exhibs don't show "Abie Lincoln,'' which must not be confused with that other patriotic pix, "Abie's Irish Rose" Feb. 13 bound to be "unlucky 13" for some independent producers — but they feel the same way about all the other dsys Feb. 14, St. Valentine's Day so send a Valentine to your wife without signing your name, and she'll NEVER suspect you, y' goof Feb. 17, the first telephone exchange in California opened at San Francisco, 1878 and many Hollywood officials will celebrate by phoning the New York home offices expensively about annoying trifles, as usual Feb. 18, Lent starts today but don't be a sucker and lent, for you'll never get your dough back these tough time? Feb. 19, patent on phonograph issued to Thomas A. Edi son, 1878 many more females will be born on this day. too Feb. 20, Joseph Jefferson, great actor, born. 1829 and Gordon S. White, advertising manager of Educational, was born one day later, but is sure that if he had been born on the 20th, he would have been a greater actor, alco, foi that's his secret ambition — but no more, since we've told you about it Feb. 22, Washington's Birthday, 1732 and the Father of his Country should be alive today to see what Mister Volstead has done to it Feb. 23, Americans defeated Mexicans at Buena Vista, 1847 this is a swell chance for exhibs on the Mexican border to get their theater? burned down by reminding 'em of it • • © TODAY'S FAIRY STORY meet the Gumbin Boys, folks — Herman. Harry and Nate associated witl M. H. Hoffman in Liberty Productions here's the Arabian Xights true story of how they created the film biz while conducting their various enterprises in Chicago, some years ago, a woolen manufacturer who owed them a large sum of money and couldn't pay, wired: "How can I settle with you?' kidding him, the Gumbins wired: "Ship us your mills" and the goof took 'em seriously, and shipped to Chi six carloads of machinery so they went into the woolen manufacturing biz the woolen market went flooe> so they changed the mill into an overcoat factory then they started manufacturing suits the worsted market got tied up, so they started manufacturing worsted so they could make (heir suits seven months ago they came to Los Angeles on business, and decided to open another biz they asked an attorney's advice whether to open an orange juice bottling plant or go in tinpicture biz he scz: "Stay away from pictures, or you'll lose your shirts" so they promptly went in the picture biz with Mister Hoffman and instead of losing their shirts, in seven months they've taken the shirts from a couple other picture fellers EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas © « « « » » » Heavy Campaign On "Mothers Cry" QNE of the most extensive exploitation campaigns ever carried out in Xew England was that gotten up by M. Melincoff for the showing of "Mothers Cry" at the Warner in Lawrence, Mass. One of the ideas utilized was the getting out of an announcement on red stock made to slip over the neck of a milk bottle. Through a tie-up with the milk distributors 10,000 of these cards were used. Another effective stunt consisted of prizes being offered for the best mother and baby photographs. The newspaper cooperating reproduced the photographs of the winners. — Warners * * * New Angle On Classified Ad Stunt J^RT HEMMELEIN, manager of the Capitol in Altoona, Pa., used a new and interesting angle of the classified ad stunt for his engagement of "A Lady Surrenders" that netted him considerable extra free publicity. Each day the "Altoona Tribune" printed ten questions, the answers to which were to be found in the classified ads. Two tickets to the Capitol were offered the first five persons to bring in correct answers. — Universal MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best w:shcs and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays: February 3 James A. Starr Milton Silver Newell Chase