The Film Daily (1931)

THE '<z&m DAflLY Monday, April 27, 193 Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion —€)— Mexico Anxious To Co-operate HTHE Mexican government is * anxious to have its cities and resorts exploited in American pictures in the manner which Paris, London and other important places are. Officials with whom I talked in Mexico City urged me to write a story with a Mexico City locale, promising every cooperation to the producer who will film it. There is enough romance and historical background in Mexico City for a hundred pictures, the difficulty being that fewer writers are familiar with it than with Rome, Paris and Vienna. The Mexicans believe that with some such exploitation American tourists will look more favorably toward their country as a place to visit and enjoy. — Wallace Smith * * # Applying Mathematics To Picture Tempo ■T)R. ALBERT EINSTEIN'S genius for mathematics would prove extremely valuable to the science of motion pictures if the savant would consent to devote himself thereto. Mathematics play an important part in every phase of production, although no formulae have ever been devised by means of which the producer can be guided. In the matter of tempo alone, a mathematical determination of the proportion of speed proper for various sequences of a picture would be invaluable. There exists a correct proportion but the director depends upon his instinct to determine it. The writer has devised a diagram based upon conceptions of tempo as applied to various types of drama, and variations of that tempo is required by various types of scenes. While this diagram is a convenient guide to the director, it requires a mathematical formula upon which both artist and mechanic depend for guidance. — George Archainbaud A FILM FACT A DAY The first Nickelodeon was opened in Los Angeles in 1902. RIMI • • • THINGS WE Never Thought Worth Mentioning Till Now that the most significant film pronouncement of the week was made by Charles E. McCarthy, advertising chief of Paramount, who stated at the company's Coast convention that "newspaper advertising has been and will continue to be the backbone of motion picture campaigns" that Paramount will increase its appropriation for newspaper space next season to the highest point in the company's history that this Diplomatic Statement will do a lot to mollify the newspaper publishers, who were up in arms over the "invasion" of their domain by film companies with sponsored pix ballyhooing nationally advertised products that while Charlie was making his tactful speech, the Broadway Paramount was showing a cartoon plugging Texaco Oil and a gink on the stage put over a song plug for Royal Typewriter that this proves there should be more co-ordination of tactical maneuvers between the advertising department and the theater department * * * * • • © THAT there is in course of preparation an exhaustive history of the motion picture biz by an authority who knows his onions that it will upset a lotta generally accepted fairy tales about Big Deeds of Big People and give credit to the guys who should have got credit in the first place that all this will be backed up with incontrovertible proof in the shape of documentary evidence that A. P. Waxman's statement that "blah and ballyhooey are out of the picture and the advertising of the pix" will now apply also to blah and ballyhooey about Picture Events and and Personalities * * * * • • • THAT Jack Hess, advertising director of Arkayo Corporation, has sounded a New Note in Summer theater advertising and exploitation in his bulletin of tips, suggestions and ideas that many of the old and revered Summer Gags that theater managers have sworn by for yars and yars are herein shown to be the Siamese salami that, f'r instance, reproductions of polar bears, ice and snow do not attract people to the theater that these stunts drive 'em away, as folks don't want to be frozen in a theater when they are boiling outside that the Correct Impression for a theater manager to convey is that his house is merely "a cool and comfortable relief from excessive heat" that if this biz keeps getting Saner and Saner as indisputably proved by all the foregoing, Giuseppi and Yours Untruly will have to get ourselves a Sane Gondola to keep up with the parade that is, a gondola with a bottom to it or else one of these days you'll look at the column illustration and find us SUNK * * * * • • • THAT J. J. Robbins of the Robbins Music Corp. predicts the new musical picture will be without chorus girls and the usual "props" that characterize musical comedies that the new filmusical will be a combination of drama and comedy with ONLY incidental music and songs that this kolyum predicted the very same thing several months ago, when the German filmusical, "Two Hearts in Waltz Time," proved that beyond peradventure of a doubt (beautiful phrase, that, although it means nothing) that Mike Simmons contributes to the gayety (?) of this dep't by citing the case of the Dixie* theater in Galveston, which advertised Sono Art's "Damaged Love" as "a story of vigorous marital infidelity" that THAT makes it martial infidelity if you follow us just a little bit but why should you? we ain't goin' anywhere « « « » » » EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas €) A1 Railroad Cooperates On "Painted Desert" N attractive window display put up in the downtown ticket office of the Southern Pacific Lines as a tie-up on "The Painted Desert" eventuated in considerable comment and the resultant good showing at John Hamrick's Alder theater, Portland, Oregon, during the run. The Alder had the cooperation of Albert Hedwall of the accessories department of RKO Pathe's local office, who made up the display and used it as an advance attraction in the exchange office. Hedwall made excellent use of the color press-sheet available on the picture. By mounting the front cover of the press-sheet on beaver board and cutting around the border line, a cutout was made. The back cover of the book was used to make up a 24 sheet billboard for the display. No details were missed in the construction from the green latticed stand of the billboard to whitened bones on the sandy wastes and a coiled rattler on the rocks; even a miniature Indian stood challenginerly in the center of the set. —RKO-Pathe * * * Special Radio Program On "Dracula" ANAGER W. H. HEMPHILL got plenty of mention over a local broadcasting station at the cost of one pass to advertise "Dracula" playing at the Publix-Ellanay, El Paso, Tex. Station KTSM mentioned a special midnight matinee for three days in advance. And then on Sunday night, on opening day of picture, the theater put on a program over the same station from 10:10 to 10:50 at no cost to thi theater. — Ellanay, El Paso Tex} M 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 21 George K. Arthur George Manker Watters William Rand