The Film Daily (1931)

Monday, March 16, 1931 I I MB II ■ ■< Timely Topics 4 Digest of tirrpnt Opinion — e — Urges a Library Of Film Science TV7ITH all knowledge about motion picture production that has been acquired since the first camera crank was turned, comparatively little has been written and classified so as to make possible a library of film science. While a tremendous amount has been learned and evolved about making pictures, most of it resides in the minds of those directly associated with them. Men who have accomplished anything worthwhile as a contribution to better pictures, should be encouraged to record their knowledge in books, in order that an encyclopedia of the science may be available to those interested. — Jean Hersholt * * * Illusion Is Screen Keynote "VOU can probe and diagnose plays and pictures to the bitter end, but you can't get away from the fact that people go to the theater to be lifted out of everyday life. They crave illusion as a nepenthe for the harassments of everyday life. Men want to forget business worries. Women want to forget fretful details of everyday life. Humanity in general wants to be carried away from dullness and hopelessness for a little while. Eyes too dry to shed tears over individual^ troubles weep vicariously over drama, giving a real release to the heart. Lips that haven't sm'iled for days curl into saving laughter over comedy. The ability to answer this need marks the fine line of demarcation between screen hits and flops, which, one notices, are always settled by public verdict and not that of critics. — Russell Mack A FILM FACT A DAY the nation's still unwired o film for ne-third of houses are sound. PHILM.DALY tr*9H^ • • • THINGS WE Never Thought Worth Mentioning Till Now that George Harvey's business card for his Harvey-Jaediker Advertising Art Service is a visible demonstration of the artistic cleverness of the service that Ned Depinet belongs to the Liberal and Progressive school, for as soon as he became RKO Pathe general sales manager, he issued orders that his office door be kept open at all times, except when he is ACTUALLY in conference that the Greatest Optimist we ever heard of is the aged Scotch exhib who came to New York for one of those youth rejuvenation operations, and arranged for a child's half-fare ticket for the return trip that Oscar Hanson fell for the ancient telephone-call stunt from a phoney to make him disgorge some news, but Oscar is regular and will get a kick outa reading this that Educational claims Mayor Jimmy Walker's problem deciding "where to go" on his vacasfte was just a gag, as they solved the problem with an advance print of "Dream World," exploiting the charms of Palm Springs, where Jimmy has gone that we know a gink who got an awful fright on his wedding day — and he's still married to it that Bud Barsky, producing the Chimp Comedies, has bought a scenario from his young son for 5 berries, aptly titled "Little Sneezer" that over in Brooklyn we passed a sign the other night reading "Kick, the Printer," but the shop was closed and we missed fulfilling the craving of a lifetime that G. J. Mauer, of Educational's accounting dep't, was appointed to the East Hempstead volunteer fire department, and on his first fire call dashed out without his tin hat that when we called BRadhurst 6-6666 the other day, central operator reported that we were hissing at her that if you can't recall that additional key numeral under the new phone system, ju*t give central anv number up to 9 that comes into your head she's given YOU a lotta wrong: numbers, and this is a Swell Chanc° to eret souare that when Buddy Fisher stepped off a train at the Grand Central, h° was handed a summons mesnt for Bennv Rubin, because they look so much a'ik<> and Buddv Fisher isn't bragging about it that hi looks like Bennv Rubin. we mean that General Electric Refrigerator uses the slogan: "A Sound Investment" but who in 'el' wants a sound eauirjment with their refrigerator? that Lloyd B-1 con sez: "It is amazing how one idea can be tw!sted around in a screen story so as to be unrecognizable." that a lotta screen writers have noticed this phenomena, too that fishing trips are not what they used to be not by a jugcul that both Dorothy and Lillian Gish are scheduled for new Broadway plays that a certain Scotchman we know has quit taking his girl to the movies, because she can't get any more passes that A. S. Kirkpatrick of Educational onte went on a hunting trio and actually brought a big grizzly bear back into camp ALIVE he beat the bear into camp by a foot • • • MERVYN LEROY, Hollywood's youngest-appearing director, came to town to look over the stage hit, "Five Star Final," preparatory to making it into a talkie for Warners the office arranged for a pair of seats, which were located in a bad spot so Mervyn went back to the box-office, explained who he was and what he wa^ there for, and asked for better seats and the b.o. dignitary snootily refused to make an exchange so LeRoy planked down $7.70 of his own coin for two in the third row and next day when Warner officials checked up on the discourteous treatment, they were told that "some fresh YOUNG feller who didn't look anything like a big movie director" had tried to crash better seats. EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Idcn 0 Regular Newspaper Edition for "Caesar" TT has remained for the manager of the Iowa in Sioux City, Iowa, to go a step further in the exploitation of "Little Caesar" than any of his fellow exhibitors. Instead of using a tabloid of his own he tied up with the Sioux City Iowan, using the regular home edition of the newspaper to call attention to the film. The paper carried under its mast head on the front page deep headlines in Gothic type, "Crime King in Sioux City; Hiding in Underworld Den.-' The 7th and 8th columms were occupied by a display story containing a picture of Edward G. Robinson as the hunted criminal. — Iowa, Sioux City, la. * * * Waltz Contest Helps "New Moon" JyJ. A. MALANEY, manager of the Allan, Cleveland, ineluded a novel contest in exploiting "New Moon." Malaney arranged a tie-up with the Crystal Slipper Ballroom, whereby they held a special "New Moon'' waltz contest, and offered cash prizes and free tickets for the best waltzers during the playing of the numbers. In connection with the contest at the Crystal Slipper, Malaney arranged for radio announcements to be made for four nights previous to the contest and the opening of picture. — Allen, Cleveland « « « » » » MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best wishes and congratulations «, c extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the in dustry, who are celebrating theii birthdays : March 16 Conrad Nagel Harry Lee Harrison Ford Junior Coghlan