The Film Daily (1931)

Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — ©— Advertising Talkies — Asset or Handicap? (~\F THE major problems confronting the cinema industry at the present time, there is none more pressing or more heavily charged with "dynamite" than that of the "sponsored" advertising films. Since the inception of the moving picture, its primary purpose or mission has been to entertain. It is true, of course, that the newsreels have purported to inform and report, and that subjects of an educational nature have been presented. But, as box office statistics from the nickelodeon era up to this writing will establish, the industry's prosperity is grounded solidly upon entertainment. Even the most artistic and the most thrilling pictures have failed to enjoy popular success when an attempt has been made to substitute a text-book lesson for simon-pure entertainment. "With Bvrd at the South Pole" and D. W. Griffith's "Abraham Lincoln" are fair examples. With the fan attitude upon extraneous material on the screen thus well established, is it reasonable to suppose that the free injection of commercial advertising into pictures, either short subjects or features, will be ignored? The Chicago packer's boast of utilizing everything save the porker's dying M|iieal bids fair to bei shaded by Big Business' by-products "achievements" in the cinema field. That is, if the "sponsored" advertising evil is permitted to run its course. Happily, however, there are signs that it will be eradicated before the industry suffers box office setback of heroic proportions. "Syracuse Herald" — Cheater Bahn, TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN !TNE mNnsMfa Of HIM DOM W. E. Shallenberger again heads Arrow Film. Analysis shows film receipts are four times in excess of those from other theaters. Whitman Bennett buys Triangle studio in Yonkers. DAILY • • • WARNER CLUB held its third Annual Banquet and Ball at the Commodore on Saturday eve and we're still somewhat in a dazey daze what with the genooine spirit of good fellowship, the swell chow they fed us, and the dazzling dames not to mention the beaucoup brand of entertainment but what we liked best about it all was the way the Big Shots MINGLED why, you could go up to Major Albert Warner and slap him on the back, and say: "Well, Maje, how's things?" and he'd slap you back on the back or the side of what we facetiously term our head, and say: "Great, Phil! And how is it by you?" boy, it's great to be able to meet a Big Guy on common ground today when we go up to his ossif the sec will probably tell us he's not in but never mind that we still have our Treasured Memories ain't we? and the show was G-R-A-N-D N.T.G. with his knockout kuties Ted Husing, Joe Frisco. Jack Whiting, Irene Del roy, Hal LeRoy and Joe Penner and there were so many pips among the femme guests that y' didn't care whether you met any of N.T.G.'s charmers after the show or not and that's some admission from US it's a pleasure to give credit to Arthur Sachson, committee chairman, and Margaret Peterson, who did wonders in making the shindig a swell GEDILLE, as we Armenians say • • • IT SOUNDS exaggerated, but out in Chi many houses are running not only double bills, but three pix on a program and when his competitor booked in three pix, the proprietor of a neighborhood house went him one better with FOUR and a gink rushed up breathlessly to the box office at 6:30 in the evening, and asks: "Am V too LATE for the last show?" • • • A CERTAIN paper yesterday ran this item: "Add Similes (with one eye toward Frank Wilstach) : As welcome as a wart on a celluloid star's nose" we think this is a pip, and like to give credit where credit is due but truthful reporting compels us to note that Walter Winchell called Frank Wilstach's attention to the very same simile in his column in August, 1930 which makes it just 8 months old and Walter gave us Proper Credit for originating it in this kolyum dated July 28, 1 930 we still think it's a pip and still like to give credit where credit is due please pardon our modesty here's another good Simile we just thought up, right out of our own head "As welcome as Anonymous Appreciation in an other guy's kolyum" • • • WE ALWAYS like to extend a helping hand to li'l gals trying to get along in the pix there's a demure miss who has been struggling along since she made her first appearance at five years with the Valentine Stock Company in her native city of Toronto David Belasco some years later gave her a chance in "The Warrens of Virginia" then D. W. Griffith offered her a screen opportunity in a 500-foot pix, "Her First Biscuits" since then this li'l gal, Gladys Smith, has made a few million in the movies now she struggles to count all her dough ...wonder if Gladys Smith would have so much dough to count if Belasco in an inspired moment hadn't christened her Mary Pickford? • • • CHESTER BAHN, cinema crit of the Syracuse "Herald," sez: "Watch United Artists under Sam Goldwyn's production leadership who realizes that worthwhile stories cannot be written on clock-punching schedules" and leaving you kiddies to mull over that one, we bid you sayonara Tuesday, March 24, 1931 Short Shots from New York Studios By HARRY N. BLAIR CAM SAX headed the studio ccw tingent at the Warner Banqu with Monty Schaff, Ed Savin, Ro Mack, Herman Ruby, Ed DuPsu Ray Foster, Jay Rescher, Dick Willi and Frank Kingsley also on hand t help in celebrating a bang-up evt ning. Shirley Frankel, Sajn Schne der's charming sec. cast her lot wit the studio crowd, knowing a bunc of good fellows when she sees then: All in all, it was a great affair. Maurice Chevalier, now in th midst of making "The Smiling Lieu tenant" for Paramount, will be gues of honor at a supper dance to ba given by the French War Veteran at the Hotel Roosevelt on the nigh of April 11. Forty -two gallons of grape juice not to mention a similar quantity 0) near beer, was required for use it Edmund Goulding's "Scarlet Hours? in which most of the action take* place in "The Duck," a color fw cafe. « « « » » » Neely Edwards, the original stai of the "Hall Room Boys" comedies, is featured in Vitaphone's "Junior," which is all about a mischievous youngster, played by little Jackie Ryan. < Hugh O'Connell, comedian "Once in a Lifetime," has star work on "The Smiling Lieutenant' and the entire cast is hereby warned that, given a half chance, he's liable to run away with the entire show, for he has a reputation of doing just that thing. 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 24 J. A. Duffy Jameson Thomas Carrie Daumery