The Film Daily (1931)

THE Sunday, April 12, 1931 5^ DAILY 19 Trend Toward Novelty and Variety Gaining Momentum, Says Hammons "The trend toward novelty and variety in short features has been so heartily approved," says E. W. Hammons, president of Educational, "that although Educational's plans for future production have not yet been completed in detail, one thing is certain, and that is that they will provide for a wide range of entertainment." "During the past year," continues Hammons, "the scope of the short feature has been widened to a remarkable extent, adding unprecedented importance and new value to the short feature. Originality and novelty in short features have been in greater evidence recently than ever before. "In addition to the greater variety in types of comedies, the field has expanded in other directions. Travelogues, with dialogue and music, have been handled from new angles and have been tremendously popular; clever novelties such as chimpanzees, dogs, and even chickens and ducks, have been introduced during the past -eason with excellent results. Our own Gayety Coined}', 'A Fowl Affair,' featuring barnyard fowl, has been getting such wide acclaim, that we are encouraged to continue to dig up ideas that deviate from the routine. Our series of William J. Burns Detective Mysteries, also a departure from routine short subjects, is scoring tremendously, attesting once more to the value of the unusual in shorts. "Sports subjects are enjoying a successful vogue, and it is my belief that next season, in addition to the ever-popular comedies, necessary to the well-balanced program, short feature producers will be on tne sharp lookout for original ideas so that programs_ will reach the very height' of diversification." Few Dramas Dramatic playlets will be in the minority on the new releasing schedules, a survey shows. Most producers of shorts are content to leave the heavy drama to the feature field. An instance of the small position occupied by dramatic subjects may be taken from the current Vitaphone program, which lists only eight dramas out of more than 200 shorts. Comedies iead the field by a big margin, a total of 80 being listed. Elaborate Exploitation For African Subjects Special treatment is being accorded by Vitaphone in the matter of accessories for exploitation of "Adventures in Africa," photographed under the supervision of Wynant D. Hubbard of the American Geographical Society, who spent two years with his expedition in Rhodesia and Portuguese East Africa obtaining the material for these 24 reels. Special treatment is being accorded this amazing series of wild animal pictures to supply exhibitors with advertising accessories which will sell the series and each individual picture in it to the public. A specially prepared press sheet of 12 pages contains attractive ad layouts, complete and interesting line of stories for the newspapers; there are slides, onesheets, three-sheets, a colored herald, snappy window cards, a set of 23 stills, 8x10, and a set of lobby cards, all of which will be in the exchanges in time for the showing of the first release, May 17. JOE . PENNER * mm -. ^H AS&L Making a series *A * Ji OI One and Two-Reel Comedies 3J JI for VdP ^^i^^" ^fl WARNER VITAPHONE ityr ^A Cornf ►leted "Seeing Off Service" "Service Stripes" "Stepping Out" "Making Good" "Stuttering Romance" "Sax Appeal" "Big Caesar"(2 reels) "Where Men are Men" (2 reels) "Moving Out" (2 reels) NINE MORE IN PREPARATION FRED GUIOL Director RKO— Pathe "Campus Champs" "Traffic Tangles" "Breakfast in Bed" "Parents Wanted" "Over the Radio" "Chasing Trouble" "Boss' Orders" "Rich Uncles"