The Film Daily (1932)

Sunday, April 17, 1932 — .^gg^ DAILV NEW BOOKS On the Art and Business of Is^otion Pictures NEWSREEL MAN, by Charles Peden. Doubleday, Doran & Co., New York. $2.50. Incidents in the daily life and routine of a newsreel cameraman, and some facts about many of the big newsreel scoops of recent years, are related in a fascinating manner by Charles Peden, a Movietone cameraman who has visited his share of the far and near corners of the earth. The volume, generously illustrated with more than a hundred photographs picked out from the vaults of newsreel companies, is dedicated by Peden to his companions of the camera and microphone. There are chapters on the Newsreel Man and His Wife, Getting the News, The Newsreel Public, Shooting the Foreign Legion, Hunting Whales Off Kamchatka, The Fire Walkers of Fiji, Surf Riding at Waikiki, The Land of the Living Buddhas, With the Ice Patrol, The Episode of the Blimp, The Episode of the Submarine, The King's Armada, The Pope Takes a Walk, BigTime Bombing, The Last Picture. How They Brought the Great News from the King of Kings, and Hopewell Two One. The last named chapter deals with such a down-todate subject as the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. Peden writes in a style that just suits the pulsating, fastmoving, ever changing staccato nature of his subject. Among the illustration are shots of actual disasters and fatal accidents at time of happening, as well as more pleasant spectacles concerning noted personalities. Then there are several series of pictures showing how some of the more difficult and intricate newsreel shots are made, and the ingenious method of placing the camera and sound equipment. Altogether, the volume provides a good round of adventure, excitement and a bit of insight into the romantic exploits of those hardy servants of the news screen who never know from one day to another where they are going to have their next breakfast or whether they will sleep tomorrow night within a thousand or more miles of the night before, provided they get to bed twice in the 24 hours. Whether to glean information or for pure enjoyment, the volume is recommended. FILM AND DISC RECORDING Latest Modern Lighting Equipment — Large Stage For Motion Picture Work Re-Recording on Disc and Film Guaranteed Quality and Service STANDARD SOUND RECORDING CORP Offices & Studio— 216-220 East 38th St. Phone: MUrray Hill 2-1155-6-7 Short Shots From Eastern Studios By "C. A. ^AM SAX, production supervisor of Vitaphone studio, has elaborate plans for the new series of two-reel Tecnicolor musicals which are to be produced at Warners' Burbank studio. He and Roy Mack, director of all of Vitaphone's musical shorts, claim to have some startling innovations in short subject production which they will introduce with this series. Both are departing for the West Coast on Monday to be gone for two months. • "Black Tulips," a story by Frank D. Ormston, featuring Nina Mae McKinney, is the title of the second of a series of six Negro features scheduled to be put into production April 25 by Irving Yates. Harold Godsoe will direct. • A comedy short subject, entitled "If I'm Elected," went into production last week at the Brooklyn Vitaphone studio. Alf Goulding is directing the story, an original dealing with political campaigns written by Jack Henley, former crack polo player and newspaperman recently added to the studio scenario staff, arid A. D. Otvos. Prominent in the cast, which totals 51 players, are Douglas Dumbrille, A. J. Herbert, Scott Moore, Margaret Lee, Ray Collins and Tammany Young. • Mrs. Ray Foster, wife of Ray Foster, cameraman at the Brooklyn Vitaphone studio, who underwent an appendicitis operation last week, is reported progressing satisfactorily. • Production on "Out of the Crimson Fog," a feature starring Fay Miller and Tom Mosley, has been completed at the Paragon Studio, Jamaica. Charles White directed. • The first of a series of 12 tworeelers dealing with Indian legends, written and planned by Molly Wood, is scheduled to go iyito production this week at the Paragon studio, Jamaica. • After having been confined with a severe case of laryngitis all week, Ruth Etting, who was scheduled to start work last Monday, was finally able to get started on her fourth Vitaphone short subject Thursday at the Brooklyn studio. • The two-reeler entitled "Stage Struck," under the direction of Roy Mack, is the last of a series of four which Miss Etting contracted to make for Vitaphone for the current season. Included in the exceptionally large cast, consisting of 60 supporting players, are: Ruth Holden, Frank McNellis, Victor Kilian, Johnny Dale, Francis McHiigh and Wilfred Lytell, in addition to a dancing chorus of 12 girls. "Stage Struck" will be the last picture that Roy Mack ivill direct before leaving for Hollywood. With "The Campus Mystery," tenth of the S. S. Van Dine series of two-reel detective-mystery films, in the cutting room, Joseph Henabery, director of the series, is sitting in on the casting of the next one with Herb Hayman, casting director of the Brooklyn Studio. Burnet Hershey did the screen adaptation for the new script, as yet untitled. WORDS and WISDOM From within and without "Behind every strange or exciting newsreel clip there is a man who filmed it."— CHARLES PEDEN. "Obviously the maximum development of the screen is before it, not behind it."— WILL H. HAYS. "Only grave-diggers wait for things to happen." — WILLIAM JOHNSON, Theater Service Corp. "Actually the public wants sophisticated pictures, if you will give 'sophisticated' its slang equivalent of 'wised up.' The public wants pictures that make it feel 'wised up' on the current forces of national life."— WALTER WANGER. "It is always the women who are thirsty for blood, who yell for a knockout."— JAMES CAGNEY. "At best, an actor is only in the bigger money for a comparatively short time and he's a fool if he doesn't capitalize on those few years."— ROBERT MONTGOMERY. "I never wear clothes that might overpower my own personality." — JEAN HARLOW. "A talking moving picture, designed for the average adult intelligence, without preachment, yet with a happy, moral ending, is the formula for the successful and profitable film:'— BURTON KING. "The wide appeal of 'Ballyhoo' and similar magazines which burlesque modern advertisements is in his eyes a symptom that some advertising men have been hard at work sawing off the tree branch on which they sit." — ROBERT S. MANN in "Editor & Publisher." Chicago — Walter Branson, formerly branch manager here for RKOPathe, is now division manager in charge of eight branches. Salamanca, N. Y. — The Andrews has been bought by James Carnives. Mannington, W. Va. — Mrs. B. C. Church, who owns theaters in West Union, W. Va., has taken over the Burt here from W. B. Urling. Rochester, Pa. — Mike Winograd will close the Majestic. Syracuse, N. Y. — The Riviera has passed to the ownership of the S3Tacuse Anjusements Corp., with H. Gilbert as manager. Waynesburg, Pa. — Barry Puglia will install new projection apparatus in the Opera House. Fillmore, N. Y.— The Buffalo has been reopened by Dr. J. M. Rutowski. Washington — Harry M. Crull remains as managing director of the Fox which has been turned over to Loew's for operation. Lackawanna, N. Y. — The A. C. theater here has been reopened. A. Cysnyka is manager. Detroit — The Roosevelt and Cinderella, owned by James Robertson, have joined Co-operative Theater Service Corp. Wayland, N. Y.— The Legion has been reopened by Laura Marconx. Minneapolis — Sound has been installed in the Ray-Bell Co. studios and sound trailers will be made for theaters and advertising concerns. Atlanta — Thomas A. Branon. president of Affiliated Producers, has been appointed by Supreme Screen Court Service Corp., as operator of its southeastern exchanges. St. Paul's, N. C.— Fire recently destroyed the Grand, operated by J. L. Caudell. New Orleans — The Saenger, ace Publix house here, may drop vaudeville and return to an exclusive picture policy. Atlanta — Harry Rathner has announced plans for the improvement of the Capitol that will cost $25,000 — new booth, new and larger screen. ST. CHARLES Occupying Entire Block ON THE BOARDWALK ATLANTIC CITY A Smart Hotel In America's Smartest Resort Ideal Convention Facilities ATTRACTIVE RATES