Film Daily (1931)

; Sunday, June 21, 1931 —JZfr* DAILY TIMELY TOPICS A Digest of Current Opinions € Is Television A Menace? A GAIN there is talk of television to add to the worries of this restless industry There is no denying that television is on the way. Already there are several stations broadcasting television programs and some reports also state that 40,000 television receiving sets are now in home use. Undoubtedly as television broadcasting improves it will add to its followers and in time — no one can really say how soon — it may even boast as many fans as radio. But as far as its making great inroads on theater attendance is concerned, we tail to see it as a menace to get shaky in the knees about — at least for several years, if ever at all. Radio was a great bugaboo for showmen a few years ago. Good roads that lead from the small towns to the bigger towns also created a scare. Folks have to stay at home to listen to the radio and the roads that lead to the big cities run both ways. So the tax on theater attendance by those alleged menaces was only of short duration. Television, too, is something that people have to stay home to get. But the great American public just isn't the stay-at-home kind; it's a "let's go places" people arid, no matter how perfect television may become, good attractions away from the home will always have the greatest pull. The astute showman knows that he must be prepared at all times for every kind of competition. He fortifies himself with good attractions, both features and shorts, makes his theater attractive and comfortable, all of which serves as the greatest magnet to reach into the homes and bring tlie ticket buyers to his box-office. — Ben Shlyen, Associated Publications COMING & GOING HELENE TURNER. Paramount film editor, sails June 30 on the Bremen to join her husband. Ray Friedgen, in London. STEPHEN HARRISON, who has officiated as assistant director on numerous feature productions at Paramount's NewYork studio, sails on the Olympic next Friday for London. JACK OAKIE has engaged passage on the Bremen, sading for Europe on June 30. BEN GOLDSALER of Famous Players ( madian Corp. is in New York on business \V B. SHAPIRO of Pittsburgh, H M RICHEY of Detroit. MAK< M HoRH LET and HARRY ( OH EN of Boston are in the city and held a meeting Friday at thiW'aiwick with firant L. Cook of Tiffany. EMIL JENSEN returns Tuesday from the C. C. PETTIJOHN is en route to the Ccast from New York on a trip of several weeks' duration. HARRY GOLD sails today (Saturday) for Bermuda. ALON THE MALT • • • NOTHING GIVES us greater pleasure than to get two film gents together who claim to be Authorities on empey history and have one of 'em punch the other feller's story full of holes and now we have staged a verbal scrap between Arch Reeve of Paramount's West Coast publicity, and Jean LeRoy, the Daddy of Projection so you fans grab your ringside seats and yell for your favorite we don't give a hoot who wins, just so long as it's a good battle. * * * * • • • LAY-DEES AND GENTS! In this corner, Battling Reeve, the Hollywood word-mangier and over here his op-pon-ent, Kid LeRoy, who has taken 'em all on for the last 35 years there's the gong ! let's go ! * * * * • • • IN THURSDAY'S column we ran Arch Reeve's yarn which he got from Paul Nicholson, who claims he was the first stage actor to appear in pix and Arch went on to tell some of Mister Nicholson's recollections among which he stated that the first box-office hit, "The May Irwin Kiss,'" was produced by Wallace McCutcheon Jean LeRoy sez it was produced by Raff and Gammon, distributors of the old Vitascope machine Arch sez this pix was shot on the roof of the Hackett-Carhart building at 13th Street and Broadway Jean sez it was shot on the roof of 43 West 28th Street with a black cambric screen background this building being the headquarters of Raff & Gammon, who made the film, which was sold to users of Kinetoscope and Vitascope machines furthermore Jean states that "The Kiss" was made several years before Biograph opened shop in the building at 13th Street and Broadway Arch's story from Nicholson is that the film was 500 feet long Jean claims it IS exactly 50 feet long and when we asked him why he sez "is" instead of "was," Jean sez: "Hell, I've got the film right here on my lap while I'm phoning you, for I OWN the print!" oops Round One, friends of the air, went to the old ringmaster, Kid LeRoy, by a wide margin he blocked all the contender's punches and had him hangin* on the ropes at the gong but mebbe the second round will be different or is there gonna be a second round, Arch? • • • HARVEY DAY, special sales representative for Educational, after a tour around the territories notes that the double feature bills are doing a flop act in many instances Supporting Charlie Ruggles in "The Girl Habit" is Tamara Geva. the exotic stage danseuse while splitting a bottle of coca cola together as we sat in the bewitching moonlight on the beautiful banks of the Gowanus Canal near the Paramount stude, we sez to Tamara "How come you chose that stage name?" and Tamara, in her pulsing voice that thrilled us to the marrow, explained thus whenever she saw the casting director, he'd say: "See me tamara." and one eve she visited Tex Guinan's nite club, and heard her say: "( the li'l girl a big hand." hence, Tamara Geva so here's giving the li'l gal a big hand tomorrow • • • FRANK AND MILT Britton, working in "Melody Master" series for Vitaphone, had to go to Pittsburgh, and left their dog "Kiki," which is a part of their act, in the care of a friend so one evening he took the mutt out for an airing on Eighth Avenue and the pup pulled violently on Unleash and led the friend into three pawnshops in succession! Nowadays the chorus gals introduce their current suckers as their finance-ays « « « » » » EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas t) Norcl Pamphlet Attracts Femmes J\ putting over "The Public Enemy," at the Earle, in Washington, D. C, the Warner theater staff got out a small pamphlet designed to interest and appeal to feminine fans. It was printed in two colors, profusely illustrated and impressive pictorially and typographically. One of its articles was titled, "Why Do Women Love Brutes" and another was "The Letter of a Gangster to his Sweetheart." The feminine appeal throughout the pamphlet was direct. — Earle, Washington, D. C. Boys in Armor Ballyhoo "Connecticut Yankee" J)OWX in Abilene, Tex., Manager W. E. Drumbar created lots of interest in his current attraction by using ballyhoo. On "Connecticut Yankee" — two boys dressed up in armor, rode horses all over town three days in advance and on opening day. Cards carrying copy about picture, thcter and playdates were suspended from the horses. — Paramount, Abil< Many Happy Returns Beit wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following ben of the industry, who are celebrating their birthday*: June 20-21 Scott R. Dunlap Betty Lorraine GcorRC Hat De Witt Jenn K.ilph Bl q Standing