The Film Daily (1931)

Sunday, May 10, 1931 TIMELY TOPICS A Digest of Current Opinions c Good Shorts Solve Pouble Feature Evil TROUBLE feature bills are bad business from several standpoints. They put too heavy a drain upon the exhibitor's purse and too much of a strain upon the audience. Quantity was never a good substitute for quality. One indifferent feature on a double program casts its dull shadow over the good one and a dissatisfied audience goes out to say that it has seen a bad show. Even if both features are excellent, it must be born in mind that there actually can be too much of a good thing. It is entirely too great a nervous strain to sit through two features, even good ones. A person should leave a theater feeling relaxed and refreshed, not mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. Seeing two features on one program is like eating a big dinner composed entirely of meat and vegetables. Balance is as essential to the entertainment fare as it is to the food menu. That is where the good two-reel comedy comes in. It should be the appetizer that whets the taste for the entree or the dessert which pleasantly tops off an enjoyable entertainment feast. . . .At RKO Pathe, we are adopting an entirely new attitude toward comedies. They deserve, and get, the same attention as features. They are shorter, that is all. Proportionately, they get the same shooting budget and schedule. They are also getting big names, names which are familiar in electric lights on Broadway and in feature pictures. It is my contention that any of those big name comedies will do more to brighten up a program and attract boxoffice customers than an extra feature possibly could. — Lew Lip ton A V5ei }> ~ FILM S^ FACT Hi; ML A i=— DAY The 1 British quota law has entered its fourth year, the quota now being 12Y8 per cent. • • • THE AGE of Miracles is still with us we have it on the word of Mister Robert Lord, supervisor at First Nash stude in Hollywood among other amazing things, Bob notes these a new spirit of cooperation between the vari out departments of picture production an appreciation of the other fellow's part in the biz but get this one producers are more ready to listen to the advice of their subordinates and this next one simply has us. floored and reaching for the pulmotor Mister Lord assures us that directors have more respect for opinions of writers and even the writers are beginning to admit that the director may Know Something after all this, we take back everything we ever said against supervisors here is one supey who has made a Grand Gesture he admits that everything is jake in all departments he supervises now won't someone please say a Kind Word for the Supervisor? he can't be so tough when one of the clan can write such Beautiful Fiction about the rest of you studio muggs * * * * • • • ED SCHILLER, postcarding ye publisher from Johannesburg, South Africa, sends his regards to all you Bridge Hounds he sez "they play bridge here, but bidding is backward" they're not backward, Ed just cagey if they ever gave you an opening, you'd come back with all those South African theaters as souvenirs Witmarks are bringing out a new warble, "Just a Blue Eyed Blonde" the song lads gave you a bum steer, Mister Witmark with Blondes cluttering the Youessay at the pop price of 1 buck for that new Platinum Hair Wash, you can't expect us male victims of this new Wheat Dumping to sing songs about it or is it Straw? * * * * • • • FLOYD GIBBONS, chugging back to this hamlet from Boston the other night via the liner "New York," experienced his second catastrophe at sea when they rammed and sank a motor dredge which recalls his experience during the war when he was en route to Lunnon as correspondent of the Chi Tribune aboard the "Laconia" a German sub got 'em the Thrill Hunter was reported lost at sea his rag duly printed his obituary and what was their surprise a few days later to get a 4,000-word story from Floyd, all about the sinking they printed that, too proving that a broadminded newspaper is willing to acknowledge slight errors some rags would have torn the story up on the alibi that Floyd was a Ghost Writer * * * * • • • OUR INSURANCE broker, Charlie Murphy, who looks after those li'l insurance items on our Miami villa, town house and Austin alleged car, has us all a-flutter he informs that the Workmen's Compensation Law has been amended to include private chauffeurs and if we don't get insurance on him, we'll have to pay benefits and medical costs ourself something else to worry about IF we had a showfer George Bilson, Amperite treasurer, has designed a new club due bill, with one one half printed in glaring red, bearing the pathetic appeal: "Won't you meet us Half Way?" sure, George, we're always willing to split our check goes forward today for half the dues he should be the most popular treasurer A.M. P. A. has ever had * * * * • • • AND WAS that boxing and wrestling party at the Empey Club a success? so much so that it had the com mitttee on their ears along with most of the boxers my goodness! so many boxers were on their ears most of the time, we thought we were at a convention of the Sound Engineers with the delegates listening for Ground Noises oops EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas « « « » » » Want Ad Tieup On "Wise Child" ]y[AX.\GKR ROY SLENTZ and Advertising Manager C. E. Carden of the Publix-Worth, Fort Worth, Tex., grabbed off some valuable newspaper space. In advertising Marion Davies in "It's a Wise Child," they tied up with the newspaper on the want ad page. The paper kicked in with a three-column by 8J/2 inch ad on the picture together with details on how one could win guest tickets to see the picture. Scattered through the want ads were sentences or phrases pertaining to the picture. The idea was to clip them and arrange neatly. — Worth, Fort Worth, Tex. * * * Stai Casting Contest Goes Over T'HE star casting contest of 17 Paramount players sponsored by Manager E. B. Hands, Jr,. of the Publix-Paramount, Texarkana, and the Daily Twin City News was won by Rev. Frank O'Brien, Sacred Heart Church pastor. Seventeen Paramount players were listed and contestants were asked to write briefly about each star, what particular parts they should portray on the screen and why. — Para moit n t, Texa rka mi Many Happy Returns Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following mem bers of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays: May 9-10 Richard Barthelmess Nina Olivette Edward Marland Clarence Brown Mae Murray D. O. Selznick Clarence Burton Dorothy Howell Tom Miranda