The Film Daily (1934)

THE ■%22k DAILY Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1934 EXPLOITETTES Japanese Ballyhoo Buck's "Wild Cargo" "EMPLOYING modern American exploitation ideas, Japanese mot "on picture operators recently carried out a smart promotional program in heralding the premiere of the Frank Buck-RKO Van Beuren Corporation adventure film, "Wild Cargo." The campaign, one of the most thorough ever instituted in behalf of the opening of a film in the Far East, revolved around the premiere at the huge Schochikuza theater in Osaka. The principal feature was the use of a five-car motor caravan, carrying replicas of the various animals captured by Frank Buck. The tie-up was arranged through the cooperation of the Ford Dealers Distributors, who donated their latest type trucks and sedans. The cars were bedecked in jungle atmosphere, using brilliantly colored displays. The itinerary of the caravan included visits to neighboring cities, prior to the premiere of the film. The climax of the procession was the journey through the streets of Osaka towards the Schochikuza theater. There thousands milled around the caravan and later trailed it through the city. Although this phase of the campaign involved a small expenditure to the exhibitors, it created plenty of excitement in the cities it visited, and no doubt was responsible in a great way for the huge success of the Buck film. The campaign also included the use of the same type of jungle lobby displays used by American exhibitors. Siegfried F. Lindstrom, Far Eastern general manager for the RKO Export Corporation organized the campaign. — Schochikuza Theater, Osaka, Japan. SHOWMAN'S REMINDER Plant stories on the good product coming to your theater. MCffiS M PHISL M. DALY • • • AFTER LOAFING along with routine AMPA luncheons that only had a half dozen celebs or so present Prexy Ferguson decided to do something extra special for this Thursday's luncheon with ole Colonel Alicoate as Honorary Toastmaster and Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine as the Honor Guest so here is the magnificent, colossal, stupendous galaxy of notables and shining talent assembled for your delectation and bewilderment • • • THE CELEBS will comprise Ben Bernie, Bert Lahr, Harry Hershfield Frank Fay, director of the Federal Dep't of Justice who broke the Lindbergh case A. J. Kobler. publisher of the "Daily Mirror" . . . . mebbe he will bring Walt Winchell along Lillian Gish, Raquel Torres, Bert Lytell, Lois Moran, Lila Lee then for the Entertainers Donald Novis, Eddie Garr, Eddie Foy, Jr. and Charlie Foy Frances Langford, Cross & Dunn, Kay Fayre, Britt Wood Slim Timblin, Waldorf-Astoria Marimba Band, Harry Ellis. Mac Gordon & Harry Revel AND a Big Surprise is practically assured in addition to all these . but as we said to Bi 1 the customers should be surprised and delighted without the Added Attraction say, fellers, do ya remember the ole AMPA luncheons when any two of these names would have been considered Sensational? a lot of the Major Execs will be out for this Gala Show ▼ T T • • • LOOKS LIKE a success the All Cartoon Show at the Bijou only open two weeks Robert Schirmer of the musical publishing house is the head of Cartoon Exhibitors he got the idea from similar exhibitions in France Clifford S. Cook is general manager George H. Dalrymple is publicity director both gents formerly with Krimsky & Cochran T T T • • • SO GREAT was the demand for tickets for the Warner Club's Hallowe'en Dance that the committee has switched the affair from the clubrooms to the grand ballrooms of the Hotel Commodore . the date is Tuesday eve, Oct. 30 In his lecture at Carnegie Hall on Saturday Sig mund Spaeth will show the Mickey Mouse production, "The Wayward Canary" as an outstanding example of fine musical synchronization .... ▼ T T. • • • THERE WERE about 200 exhibs who turned out for the trade showing of Samuel Goldwyn's new Eddie Cantor pix "Kid Millions" at the Astor yesterday it has all the Cantor stuff a melange of a-little-of-everythin' good ole hoke it will probably panic the peasants throughout the nation Director Roy Del Ruth certainly squeezed in a load of laughs incidentally, Dave Epstein, who is Del Ruth's agent writes us that in the nine years he's handled this director's pressagentry he never once heard him admit that any pix he ever directed was good he always says when queried "It's lousy" T ▼ T • • • AT THE New School for Social Research this Saturday the Film and Photo League will show Pabst's "Comrades of 1918" and a new satire by Prorozanov, director of "Marionettes" James Cagney will be the guest star on Rudy Vallee's broadcast from Hollywood tomorrow eve Merle Oberon announced from London that her engagement to Joseph Schenck had been broken by mutual consent TIMELY TOPICS Broadway's Criticism Called Unreasonable 'P'HE criticism which the New York stage people make against Hollywood often seems to me unreasonable. When a stage producer opens a certain play at a certain theater, he knows almost exactly what kind of audience he is appealing to. Even so, how many successes does Broadway produce? If the Broadway people are so much smarter than Hollywood why don't they produce more successes ? There are dumb people in Hollywood; as a matter of fact, some very dumb people. But there are also some extremely clever people. It is not easy to make a picture that will I be liked in London, New York, Paris, Oshkosh and Australia. If we were making pictures only for New York or only for Oshkosh, our problems would be much .simpler. But films are successes only if they are liked everywhere. Making superior pictures for a limited audience is impossible. Not only is it impossible because of the physical expense of production but also because of the time element. Time is the most costly item in film production. If you are a small theatrical producer you can say, "I have no idea today, but I'll take up the production in two or three months when I get an idea." In the films it is different. To produce 50 and 60 pictures a year you must have organization. — Ernst Lubitsch.. 96% Sold on Celebrity Cartoons! Celebrity Pictures is 96 per ci sold in the domestic territory 1 its series of 12 ComiColor cartooj now being produced and 60 per c«J sold abroad, according to Char* Giegerich, general manager. « « « » » » Graphic Circuit Acquires House Ellsworth, Me.— The Dirigo TI ater, operated for the last deca by Morang and Robinson, has be acquired by the Graphic Theal Circuit. AS SEEN BY THE PRESS AGENT "Private suites and running water make it a dog's paradise for the 11 canines at Edward Everett Horton's ranch." — M-G-M