The Film Daily (1931)

Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — C— Six billion linear feet of film are used by the motion picture industry each year. Carl Laemmle Replies to Sherwood "CROM Carl Laemmle (who writes most of this column) comes the following communicacation: "You ask me what I would do if Lwere running a theater and did not happen to have a good picture to advertise — and you add that you do not expect any reply. But there is a perfectly valid reply just the same. If a theater is caught with a picture which is not so good, there are still certain points which will interest many movie fans. These should be stressed in the advertising. It is certainly not necessary to say the picture is bad, for the divergence of opinion as to entertainment value is so wide this would be folly. I have seen enthusiastic newspaper reviews on pictures which I thought were so terrible that no one could speak a good word for them. I have seen pictures I considered almost perfect ripped to pieces by some one with either a different point of view or a stomach ache. Of course, I don't believe that every picture should be advertised as the greatest in the world. But I do believe that the good points of every picture — and there are always some — should be 'sold' to the prospective audience without misrepresentation but with enthusiasm. You favor advertising with 'the highest esthetic appeal.' You might get by with that if you were running a theater for esthetes, Mr. Sherwood, but I hope for your sake you never experiment with it elsewhere, unless you are backed by a bank roll which can weather a permanent business depression." Mr. Laemmle's kindly advice is hereby accepted and put into effect. Nevertheless, I still insist that P. T. Barnum is dead, whereas Bruce Barton, who believes in dignity in advertising, is alive and extremely prosperous. — Robert E. Sherwood, Bell Syndicate Wednesday, April 1, 1931 PHILM.DALY <mm^ • • • WISE BABIES that Monogram Pictures crowd they have read the handwriting on the motion picture wall .while some other producers find in it only a Wailing Wall they have scratched beneath the surface and found cause for Great Rejoicing for they have observed the shortage of product for the indie houses listened to the yawps of John Public for more ACTION and less TALK in pix and are coming through with two series of eight Westerns on which they oughter make a cleanup for Westerns are, have been, and always will be the One Sure Source of Action producers can kid themselves all they want to about the Dominance of the Sex Pix but wotin'ell does a kid of 9 to 12 care about Sex? this poisonous Blight hasn't yet come into his sweet young life the kid wants Action and then MORE Action and so do a raft of grown-up kids can y' imagine the average plumber or taxicab driver going nertz over a snooty society-sex-psychological drammer? and when you figure all the kids, physical and mental, among our great body politic you're figuring considerably more than half the population that patronizes the li'l ole b.o IF they get Action to give 'em a run for their dough yezzir SOME Wise Babies this Monogram Pictures bunch and so we likewise, following their example, read the handwriting on the Motion Picture Wall you don't have to be a claivoyant to read it the indie producer is Coming Back strong • • • SWELL BREAK for Educational on the front pages of all the metropolitan dailies the other day but it cost prexy E. W. Hammons about 27 grand for his missus lost that amount of jooels on the way from Mamaroneck, her home town, to New York expensive but still Educational * * * * LISTENED IN on Heywood Broun on the radio the other nite, working a brand new racket Heh-heh-wood didn't have anything much to talk about so he starts asking the radio announcer about the latter's war experiences and y' can imagine how that announcer, a former actor, took advantage of the Great Opportunity to TALK! wotta break! ........ after being muzzled nite after nite to merely saying : "Mister Whoosh is your announcer" so Heywood lolled at his lazy ease, allowing the other mug to earn his money for him ........ interjecting a comment occasionally just to let the radio audience know it was the Heywood Broun Hour and everybody had a good time at the close, the announcer sez : "You have been listening to Heywood Broun" and Mister Broun collects the dough wotta racket! • • • CLAUDE EZELL is back from his Florida fishing trip and the Warner bunch have been listening politely to his stories about the weight of such-and-such a fish and when Claude mentioned a theater gross of 37,000, some absentminded goof sez: "SOME fish!" now Claude ain't telling any more fish stories Richard Empey, former treasurer at the Rialto, has been appointed assistant manager at the Globe Dan H. Duggers, Jr., projectionist for Rexserve at 1600 Broadway, went matrimony last Saturday with Helen L. Mc Cormick, a Pennsylvania lass alas! In his rounds of theaters on the "Trader Horn" roadshows, Billy Ferguson struck an ancient theater where they haven't made any improvements for three generations each family of patrons uses the same seat.. grandad, dad and son in turn have carved their initials in the seats Now, children, we will dismiss the class after singing a patriotic songr "The Land of the Fee, and the Home of the Knave" EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas € « « « » » » 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: April 1 Wallace Beery Dorothy Revier Leon Janney Jack Cunningham Harry Green Tab Paper Boosts "Finger Points" 'pMES SQUARE and the midtown reaches of Broadway were treated to a new tabloid paper on Thursday evening. It was called "The Press" and it certainly looked to be "the goods." In most modern style its front page was given over to crime, the spread being on a reporter who defied the vice ring and was shot for his daring. "The Press" was the work of the First National's publicity staff and was gotten out to announce the opening of the new Richard Barthelmess picture, "The Finger Points," at the Strand. — Strand, New York Long Distance Phone Stunt AN interesting stunt which had a bearing on "My Past" proved quite successful in its results in Syracuse, N. Y. The Herald of that city had an. idea it would like to interview Bebe Daniels, star of "My Past," on how she felt about playing opposite her husband, Ben Lyon, in the picture. Of course, there are a lot of other questions and the interview was arranged over the long distance telephone from Hollywood. The interview was broadcast from Syracuse over Station WSYR and printed in its entirety in the Herald. — Warners