The Film Daily (1931)

THE rhursday, May 14, 1931 DAILY TIMELY TOPICS A Digest of Current Opinions € Sponsored Films ind Newspaper Advertising ""THOSE who feel that sponsored films are desirable, and who base their opinion on the part advertising plays in radio, should find food for thought in the statement by Dr. Lee De Forest to the effect that "the menace has cost the radio industry millions of dollars." . . . One of the first exhibitor bodies to recognize the sponsored film evil is the Cleveland, O., Motion Picture Exhibitors Association. It has adopted resolutions of protest. Similar action elsewhere may be anticipated as theaters reap the full harvest of fan discontent. And that harvest is certain. . . . Finally, I submit that it is highly significant that, as the present controversy rages, a spokesman for Paramount Publix (the pioneer producer of sponsored films) sturdily contends "there is no medium better than newspapers for advertising." That spokesman was Charles E. McCarthy, director of public relations for the corporation . . . Mr. McCarthy also said (one reads) that "careful surveys have proved the terrific drawing power of attractive newspaper ads," that "newspaper advertising has been and will continue to be the backbone of motion pictures campaign," and that "Paramount will increase its appropriation for newspaper space next season to the highest point in the company's history." — Chester Bahn, "Syracuse Herald" A total of 478 picture house were built in Europe last year. RUM • • • NOW THAT they have decided on holding the Film Golf Tournament at the Fenimore Country Club at White Plains, the members of all the Boards of Governors of the other clubs around New York are breathing easy once more they are hypocritically congratulating the Fenimore gang on grabbing off the Great Honor and shaking hands with each other gleefully for now they know that they are still gonna have their Golf Course after the tournament on June 10 and the Fenimore boys will probably stroll up to their course after that date and find it looking like a parcel of suburban lots at about that stage when they start digging up the streets and laying the sewer pipes yezzir, this film biz boasts the most expert gang of landscape artists who ever dug up a countryside arrayed in fancy golf togs and with a club in their hands and so on June 10th they will all be up there in White Plains hanging around the club house and hopping over the fairways kidding each other that they are staging a Golf Tournament and in the evening they breeze home with handsome trophies under their arms for you must know that EVERY player gets a trophy no matter how lousy he is for there are always enough prizes for everybody and these dubbs and duffers crash in on the home folks and yell "Lookit! See the nice trophy I WON!" and producers are all yelling right now for a good Comedy Subject • • • MARY PICKFORD has just issued her usual Spring Announcement that she is going on the stage Mary has this memo in her diary she hasn't muffed it for the last seven years the announcement states "In her contemplated stage return, which is as yet in the formative stages, Miss Pickford will appear for only about six or eight weeks in her first vehicle" now ain't that Optimism? if a stage play lasts six or eight weeks nowadays a regular stage star would consider it a Life Occupation and while Mary is thus serenely confident of her current stage career, Gloria Swanson denies that she will appear in a stage play in Cleveland Gloria sez that with two important pictures scheduled for this year, there ain't no time for stage work well, there may be something in that • • • THE ROLE that Clarence Muse plays in "The Last Parade" is said to be the first time a Negro gangster has been shown on the screen in the pix, he is bumped off by rival gangsters what you might call a black-out Guy Fowler has associated himself with Harvey-Jaediker Service as a special writer on sales promotion and exploitation campaigns George Orth has done a good job in helping to keep metropolitan studios on the map he revived the Metropolitan and the old Lincoln studes, and is now identified with building the Royal * * * * O • • AX ANTIDOTE lor inferiority complexes lias been discovered by Roy Del Ruth out in Hollerword when adverse criticisms and bad breaks have his director and actor friends feeling that Nothing Matters Any More, then Roj |,i1Sy lie invite^ 'em to his home and screens a bunch of oldtime reels showing how punk the directors and aetor> were in the early days the other nite he showed a reel in which one of his discouraged guests was starred in a wild meller and some goof in the audience exclaimed ."Gosh! Wasn't he GREAT— hi those days!" New Hearst -Metrotone Newsreel Makes its Bow ^By JACK ALICOATE — THE VERY LATEST of 1931 model newsreels was placed on national display this week. It is the new, improved but now loquacious Hearst Metrotone News, produced by William Randolph Hearst under the direction of Ed Hatrick, for distribution by M-G-M. It is part of a co-operative three-ply plan, this new Metrotone News, operating in connection with a local broadcasting station (WOR in New York) and with a local newspaper, (The "American" in this territory). The events, too, are now explained in detail by an announcing personality designated as "The Globe Trotter." This three way hook-up is rather interesting. The radio station announces the news events at a given hour each day, the newspaper prints a running story of the events in a column called "The Globe Trotter," and the local theaters show the news events on the screen. A definite progressive step in cooperation and showmanship, we would call it. The quality, contents and versatility of entertainment value of the first two editions is well in advance of the average current news reel. If this standard of quality can be maintained, it will leave plenty of class for the other newsreel boys to shoot at. M-G-M Finishes Swimming Short M-G-M has completed a short presenting swimming champions. In the picture are Georgia Coleman, national diving champion, Buster Crabbe, distance swimmer, also Johnny and Mickey Riley, who hold several diving records. Publix Awards Contract Charlottesville, Va. — Contract for construction of the Paramount here has been awarded by Publix to D. J. Phipps of Roanoke. The structure is to be ready by Nov. IS. 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: May 14 « « « » » » Billie Dove Grant Clarke Maude Fulton Charles E. Lehmann Percy Knighton