The Film Daily (1931)

Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion 0 Hollywood Is Becoming Cosmopolitan T-TOLLYWOOD bids fair to become one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world with the production of foreign pictures by foreign actors increasing at a rapid pace. Already there are several hundred actors, well known in their respective countries, now calling Hollywood their home and extending the influence of their foreign customs, manners and speech upon the natives. The influence of this new phase of picture production is bound to place its mark on Hollywood. These visitors, brought here for the purpose of making pictures for their native theaters, are mostly men and women of culture and personality. It is indisputable that they will exert a marked effect. They will, of course, augment the influence of the foreign societies already organized here, part of whose purpose is to impress the language, literature and culture of their respective countries upon the community in which they reside. Tn countless other ways they will bring about a cosmopolitan atmosphere that cannot be matched in many cities. Not the least important effect of this situation is growing understanding between peoples, that always works toward more peaceful re lations. — George Archainbaud TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN STHE Of HIM DOM Arrow Film contracts for 26 features and comedy series. * * * Interstate M. P. Corp., Virginia company, plans studio in Richmond. * * * First National to handle MacDonald pictures for two more years. THE •cStl DAILY Wednesday, March 18, 1931 • • • AN ILLUMINATING slant on "what's the matter with screen musicals" is furnished by our columnist-brother, Norman Clark, juggling word-pictures in his graphic style in the Baltimore "News" Norman picked up a thought expressed in an editorial comment of ye publisher of this li'l paper the other day in which he discussed the dubious showing of screen musicals to date and hoping that when they start a new crop, the producers will have learned from their initial efforts what NOT to do and Norman rises to the opportunity by describing a personal experience, that throws a helluva lotta light on the problem seated beside him in a Baltimore theater one evening were a middle-aged couple before the start of the feature, a musical comedy, the wife left her seat, and it was about 15 minutes before she returned when she reappeared, hubby tried to sketch in for her what had happened in the musical comedy thus far then Mister Clark heard him add: "Every now and then somebody starts singing or dancing — but I don't know what for. There's no reason for it." then a sudden light dawned on the columnist-reviewer here was a man who probably had never seen a musical comedy on the stage he couldn't understand why characters should suddenly burst into a song or a dance without any logical reason "it just didn't make any sense to him," Norman comments and he's so struck by the incident and Mister Alicoate's editorial comment that he sits down and analyzes it in an entire column which every producer and director should read IF they're still interested in filmusicals. here are a few points he makes there are thousands of persons scattered everywhere throughout the Youessay, especially in small towns, who have never seen a musical comedy or a revue that may astonish the Broadway boys and the Hollywood contingent but 'sfact so imagine their surprise when Hollywood thrust this strange monstrosity upon them they didn't know what it was all about, sez Mister Clark the story would suddenly stop while somebody went into a song or dance and in a revue, there wasn't any story at all so this commentator concludes by stating a self-evident truth: "Before screen musicals become a success, the audience must be accustomed to them." simple, isn't it? strange that nobody ever thought of it before or that producers and directors and song-writers and filmusical writers don't sit in audiences and just LISTEN for pearls of wisdom that will net 'em thousands yes, millions dropping from the mouths of Mister and Missus Average Patron like the foregoing sample opinions of the only Critic and Expert who really MATTERS the guy who planks his dough down at the b.o. to be entertained and while the Big Boys are milling over this one let 'em go ahead and educate the public in the hinterlands to the peculiar charms of musical comedies and revues which are typically Broadway. remembering that there are a slew of folks patronizing pictures in towns like Wahpeton and Beaver Creek who don't give a whoop about Broadway but if they don't care to incur the necessary expense of educating 'em drop into the 55th Street Playhouse where a German filmusical, "Two Hearts in Waltz Time" is still packing 'em in after 23 Weeks because it gives folks like the couple in the Baltimore theater just what they WANT a filmusical with a real heart story, done simply, sincerely, humanly and with REAL harmonies that haunt you for weeks after there's nothing the matter with filmusicals sure, folks want 'em but they want 'em with Story Interest Continuity and music as is Music ; and when Hollywood gives 'em that pa and ma in Wahpeton and Beaver Creek will flock in and send the kids and grandma and grandpa and they'll ALL yell for more « « « » » » Short Shots from New York Studios — « By HARRY N. BLAIR W'U STEINER. assisted by George Bolisario. is in charge I of the camera end of "Scarlet \ Hours," Edmund Goulding's latest production, now under way at Paramount's New York studio. C. V. Tuthill, entirely recovered from a recent operation, is acting as monitor man. Vitaphone is going in for radio talent these days, the latest to be signed being the Siberling Singers, popular quartette. 1 he present week found plenty of activity at Paramount's New York studio, there being as many as five units at work, all at the same time. In addition to "The Smiling Lieutenant" and "Scarlet Hours." the annual Convention trailer is being made, besides advertising shorts and foreign versions. The much maligned advertisements offering to turn out expert musicians and linguists in ten easy lessons, has been put to shame by the music staff at Paramount's New York studio. For instance, ' laudette Colbert, in addition to playing the violin and piano, also acts as musical coyiductor during the course of "The Smiling Lieutenant." Thanks to the music department, Chevalier will also play the piano and Miriam Hopkins warble most charmingly, gifts that neither dreamed they possessed. Yitaphone's short subject, "Angel Cake," a two-reel musical, has been placed on the program at the Dominion theater during the London run of Chalin's "City Lights." The cast of this Roy Mack comedy includes, in addition to the Albertina Rasch dancers, Cy Landry, Jimmy Ray. the Paige sisters and a bevy of Broadway chorus beauties. 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: March 18 Edward Everett Horton Bartlett Cormack Eugene A. Fawcett Harry C. Bourne