The Film Daily (1931)

THE Sunday, May 31, 1931 ■z&* DAILY TIMELY TOPICS A Digest of Current Opinions c Half-Baked Gangster Picture a Menace? A N editorial appeared in the Paul Block newspapers entitled "Stop Gangster Films." Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal film corporation, replied with a letter asking, "Why not issue an order to your editors to stop printing gangster news?" Mr. Laemmle said he knew gangster activities constituted real and live news, but held they also were an "important part of contemporary affairs and, as such, are bound to figure on the screen and stage as well as in newspapers." He added he had never seen a film which glorified the gangster. The truth, as we see matters, is that some newspapers and some film comp.anies, some book publishers and some theatrical producers are wide open to censure for the way they have handled news of crime during the past five years. Mr. Laemmle may not have seen glorification of gangsters in films, but we have. And the overplay in some newspapers has been equally vicious. The dressedup half-idiots of the modern racket appeal to pleasure-loving, sex-crazed, gin-stimulated, ignorant and idle youth. Most films, books, plays and newspaper accounts show the more or less pitiable morons getting caught and punished finally, but the lure of an exciting life is not necessarily offset by the prospect of prison or the chair. Purveyors of news and pictures need to be conscious of the dynamite they are handling. It is necessary to portray an accurate picture of life, whether beautiful or ugly, but great perils to civilization are involved in public exhibitions which paint romance in false and alluring colors. The solemn fact is that this nation is fairly swimming in a sea of tawdry, halfbaked and distorted literature and pictures, cocked up in imitation of realism. ■ — Editor & Publisher The United States has an investment of $2,000,000,000 in motion pictures. \LON THE MALT • • • WHEN THE Newsreel fellers want to photograph some celeb in an interview, most everybody jumps at the chance From Mussolini up or down but not so Mister Mahatma Gandhi, the uncrowned ruler of millions of Hindus who would die for him if he said the word the feat was finally accomplished by cameraman J. Mclnnis and sound engineer William K. Hawk for Fox Newsreel after following him through jungle villages in India for a whole month when they finally obtained his consent to set up the equipment in the room where he was busy writing but wotta tough and temperamental actor he turned out to be! he refused to prepare a speech, or talk extemporaneously he said they could photograph him at his work so their only chance to get him to talk was to have a third man question him while they worked the apparatus on one occasion Gandhi promised to take his work outside where the light was good. ...... .but the next morn he hedged, saying his "inner soul" rebelled he refused to move closer to the window in the room consequently the boys had nothing but back light and had to shoot with the lenses wide open with the mike within 12 inches of his face, it was impossible to do quality recording, as Gandhi has a very weak voice, never talking above a whisper so Mister Mclhnis and Mister Hawk, in finishing their report, sed "He is temperamental and conceited a hopeless case for sound pix but if, in the future, he loses his conceit and egotism and becomes normal he will possibly make a good subject." from all of which you can gather that Mister Gandhi didn't want to appear in a Newsreel, and tell what a Big Shot he is but if he ever loses this conceit and egotism, he will become normal like the rest of the Hollerword actors. • • • A REGULAR movie plot was enacted the other night at the stage door of the Morosco theater all due to the fact that ladies still fall hard for matinee idols and as Fortunio Bonanova, featured player in "The Silent Witness," emerged into the alley on Forty-fifth street a stranger poked a gun in his back and hissed that he was about to knock him off because he had found his gal going into ecstacies over a photograph of Fortunio which she had importuned him by mail to send to her and just as Mister Bonanova was saying his final prayers in Spanish some other actors came outa the stage door and the would-be assassin vanished and now the famous baritone is very much upset as to his future course of action with admiring ladies as he sez "Eef I geev them my photograph, I get shot, and eef I do not geev them the portrait, I get shot by my press agent anyway." what you might call a double exposure and all good movie stuff • • • C. C. BURR, now producing the "Torchy" comedies, is the daddy of a fifth son, Thomas Vincent "Women Go On Forever," according to the new Tiffany pix probably because Men Go For Women Forever Mabel Julienne Scott, vet screen player, will soon be starred in a Broadway production The Twelfth Night Club are feeling quite che'sty these days with two of their honorary professional members, Dorothy Tennant and Mary Daniel, both considering flattering offers from Hollywood studes Dorothy is that blazing blonde in "Secrets of a Secretary" and Mary is a dazzling Latin type • • • ADD SIMILES Sitting pretty, like a film producer with all his dough sunk in a palooka or like the absent-minded person, who started his opening prayer: "Oh Dear Gertie, we thank thee for all the joys and blessings thou hast given us." Amen « « « » » » EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas €> Theater Stunt Sells "Dracula" QOOD theater stunt used by Manager E. M. Dowling in publicizing "Dracula" at the Publix-Granada, Olyphant, Pa. As the trailer finished, the house lights were turned oft", then a green spot moved all around the house and on the audience and then finally was spotted on a man on the stage dressed as Dracula. Only this Dracula wore a skull head instead of the mask. His hands were covered with white gloves. And as a deep voice back stage cried out, "Beware of Dracula" the man slowly walked across stage facing the audience and holding his white gloved hands in front of him. — Granada, Olyphant, Pa. * * * Dog Contest For "Skippy" JyJAXAGER Chas. E. O'Donnell of the Paramount, Baton Rouge, La., made an advantageous tie-up with a local newspaper whereby contest was sponsored by the newspaper and theater in connection with "Skippy." Contest pertained to dog owners. Every kid in the city that owned a dog was given an opportunity of winning a guest ticket to see "Skippy." The only details were that the ten owners of dogs that had the longest tails would win the tickets. As the story article read, the dogs with the longest tails would win the prize because the dog in the picture had a long tail and that's why the kid actors liked him. — Paramount, Baton Rouge, La. 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 30-31 Irving G. Thalberg William R. Ferguson Olive Shea Mike Donlin Frank C. Walker Hal Skelly Fred Allen Lou Baum Ernest Haller Ann Christy Emmett King Ben G. Kohn Kathryn Williams