The Film Daily (1931)

THE Sunday, June 14, 1931 j^2 DAILY SHORTS BENEFIT FROM DUAL BILL REACTION (.Continued from Paqe 1) Hiring will last?" 62 exhibitors specified between six and eight months, 27 from eight months to a year, eight said indefinitely, and three declared "as long as product is available." Less than 40 per cent are finding the dual policy a better business-getter, and the percentage making a better profit with double features than with one feature and shorts is considerably lower. The most illuminating aspect about the questionnaires as a whole is th'e fact that a large number of exhibitors are more or less indifferent toward shorts, and have little appreciation of their values as business pullers. Asked if audiences appear to go home better satisfied after seeing a program containing a feature and a good bill of shorts, 38 out of 41 managers replying directly to this question answered "yes." A majority of the others had not observed tfie reactions of their patrons. Bloom Joins Regal Films As Sales and Adv. Head (Continued from Page 1) and will have charge of sales and exploitation of the British pictures distributed by this company, of which H. L. Nathanson is general manager. Regal handles the product of British International, British & Dominions, British Lion and Gainsborough, as well as any other outstanding films from England. Movietone Men to Alaska Seattle — Eric Mayell, Movietone cameraman and Oscar Darling, sound engineer, have left for Nome, Alaska. They are continuing a trip which carried them to South America. COMING & GOING JOS. NADEL, purchasing agent at Para mow Is' New York studio, has returned from ito. where he attended the convention ui the National Ass'n of Purchasing Agents. PAT O'BRIEN, having completed bis role in "Personal Maid." leaves Tuesday for Hollywood, accompanied by his wife, Eloise Taylor. He is to appear with Irene Dunne in "Consolation Marriage,' for Radio Pictures. ALLEN" VINCENT, stage actor, has signed by Paramount and leaves Sunday for Hollywood. HARRY HUFFMAN. Denver theater operator, accompanied by Mrs. Huffman, left Friday for Los Angeles by way of the Panama Canal. ... , WINNIE LIGHTNER has arrived in the east for a vacation. CHVING CHIDNOFF Bailed Friday night for Europe on a three months trip, during wl.irh he will conduct his photographic exhil.it. including mostly film celebrities, in Berlin. Munich and Vienna. EDWARD ALPERSON and H. R. MAIER went to Morgantown, W. Va., for the opening of the new Warner theater Friday nipl.t. J. C. BARNSTVN sailed for Europe Friday night to big gone four months. M ICE I' >V< l an 1 her two da ■nd MR. and MRS TASCHA HEIFETZ (Florence Vidor), sailed yesterday on the lylvania for California by way of P ma. ■mil • • • THIS BEING a trade paper, we see no reason for not talking about exhibitors and their work once in awhile of course we realize that there are a lotta producer officials who will maintain that we can talk about exhibitors all we like but that to speak of their "work" will place this publication in the fiction field but we have concrete evidence before us that exhibs DO work in the case of Arthur L. Reuter, t'rinstance Arthur came to Norwalk, Conn., recently as resident manager of the Regent and he has started a very constructive campaign among the business interests he has called their attention to the fact that the town is situated on the main state highway leading to Boston the Boston Post Road probably the most traveled interurban highway in the world yet, as Arthur sez, when you look down Norwalk's Main street at night one receives the impression of a deserted mining town on the gopher prairie lightless shop windows an entire absence of pedestrian traffic no life no activity nothing but Lost Opportunities so Arthur calls for a campaign of Lighted shop windows attractive window displays to lure the passing pedestrians as well as the motorists passing through and thus grabbing off some of the biz that now scoots to other nearby towns this enterprising exhib also calls for a free band concert at least one evening a week and while the band plays, the audience strolls around and looks at the shop windows and of course at Arthur's theater front and there are a lotta other exhibs in backward towns all over these Youessay coming in with modern ideas and trying to change the backwoods atmosphere into something alive, progressive, money -luring and when the Mossbacks take a rap at the pix they should pause a moment and reflect on this Great Rejuvenating Force in their midst in the person of the Kesident Motion Picture Theater Manager whom we herewith salute enthusiastically • • • G. L. SOUTHWELL, editor of "New England Film News," sends this note on a recent exchange screening in Boston of "Annabelle's Affairs" a scene showed Jeanette MacDonald preparing for a bath and the camera dropped tcj her lower extremities as Jean stepped out of her step-ins and some dumb mugg yelled to the projectionist: "Frame!" but mebbe he wasn't so dumb, at that this gag must be good for we sprung it on Giuseppe and he laughed ;>o hard he capsized the Gondola and we both came up spluttering • • • COLOR NOTES Steve Wright, who we reported the other day as having painted his bungalow in rainbow hues, had a li'l of each color left over so the economical zanie buys hisself a second-hand Rolls Royce to use it up oops Carl Moss, of Fox Theaters, thinks black and blue is a good eye color for the Other Fellow's and Bill Haggard of the same outfit notes that Lou Brown is a blende, and Bill Brown is dark sort of haggard humor, if you ask us the good gags sent in we take credit for with the others we're big hearted, and give our contribs a break Bert Adler negotiated this paragraph in par * * * * • • • GOLF TOURNAMENT Hangovers Wasn'l the day AFTER the shindig a gorgeous, sunshiny affair? and Manager Bernstein of the Eeniinore Club sure was an Ideal Host he gave the boys Everything Clint Weyer lamped the new lakes on the fairways, and hurried ofi to get bis yacht on Long Island sound Joe Fliesler -c his new acquisition, an eight-pound boy, is already wired for Sound Times are so tough that in order to take advantage of an undertaker's reduced rate-, a Scotchman committed suicide and a midget act hired themselves out as trained lie. is and an Irishman and an Englishman rented a -ingle room together PARA. BRITISH SCHEDULE STARTING NEXT MONTH (Continued from /',. the American company. Paramount'! general plans for the 1931-32 quota >ear, however, will not be definitely set until next month, with certain existing contracts being completed meanwhile. At present Paramount is working < n it first bi-lingual production here, tentatively called "Stamboul." English and Spanish versions are being directed by Dimitrf Buchowetzki. Following this a schedule of future operations will be formulated. Induction at Elstree will be under the supervision of Robert T. Kane. Consol. Film Not Affected By DeForest Patent Ruling Recent ruling of the U. of Customs and Patent App< awarding to Lee DeForest the right to a patent over an adverse claim of Freeman H. Owens on a sound printing invention, will have no bearing on Consolidated Film Indu-tr the company announce-. Consolidated officials state their firm in no way infringes on the invention at issue. « « « » » » Wis. Anti-Daylight Bill Goes Before Governor (Continued from Pane 1) another than standard time," has been passed by both the assembly and senate and only awaits the governor's signature to make it 1 K-A-O and Orpheum Dividends Directors of Keith-Albee-Orpheuni have declared a regular quarterl\ dividend of 1 54 per cer>t on trie Pre~ ferred stock of the company payable on July 1, to stockholders of record June 22. Directors of Orpheum Circuit have declared a regular quarterly dividend of 2 per cent on the preferred, payable at the same time. Many Happy Returns Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthday*: June 13-14 Tay Garnett Basil Rnthbone William 11 Straon Mcrta Sterling John Robert Major Edward 1> Cliit Bdwai J.uk 1'eppcr Alexander Troe