The Film Daily (1935)

1U WELLS SEES FILMS AS GREATEST ART (Continued from Page 1) yesterday at the United Artists of flCGS The motion picture can portray more emotion and more drama than the stage and will be able to far surpass the opera in offering a fine musical spectacle, Wells said. Wells believes that the motion picture will have a considerable effect on the novel form and will develop a "collateral literature" of its own. This will take the form of published versions of screen treatments. Wells mentioned that he has already had published his screen treatment of "Things To Come," which Alexander Korda of London Films, has produced. He said he was quite sure that the screen treatments would be "an interesting literary form" as soon as the technical instructions, such as closeups, could be pushed aside. The film story will contain descriptions of every scene, all the dialogue and indications for music. Wells said that while in Hollywood, where he will go next week to be the guest of Charles Chaplin, he hopes to study development of a closer relation between music and the film. He does not think the interweaving of music with motion pictures has been satisfactorily accomplished as yet. Motion picture producers would do well to bind themselves not to use color in long films, for ten years, Wells believes. "At present color is expensive and limits the story," Wells said. "A story is already difficult to tell. With color you are held down to certain shots. Color can be an extraordinary nuisance to anybody who has to use it. After all the public is interested in the story. It would be good business and best for the art if color was reserved for shorts. It would be a huge mistake to use color for long films now." Other Wellsian observations were : "The public will always want love stories, adventure, the chase. Those are primordial interests . "The artist is so much more important than the politician that it is impertinent for the politicians to interfere with the artist. "I think that newspaper proprietors and editors, book publishers, booksellers and theatrical producers SHOWMAN'S REMINDER Is your theater making itself felt as a community asset? NEWS of the DAY Boston — New officers of Allied Theaters of Mass., elected last week, are as follows: Samuel Pinanski, president; John H. Devlin, vicepresident; Stanley Sumner, treasurer; Joseph H. Brennan, secretary. Board of directors: Pinanski, Bi'ennan, Devlin, Sumner, M. J. Mullin, Edward A. Cuddy, Charles W. Koerner, George E. French, H. M. Addison, Victor J. Morris, B. E. Hoffman, Max Mellincoff, John J. Ford, Col. Al Somerby, James H. Doyle, John S. Giles, Franklin F. Plimpton. Executive board consists of Pinanski, Mullin, Ford, Addison, Mellincoff, Koerner and Devlin. Asheville, N. C. — Cardinal Amusement Co. of Asheville has been granted a charter to own and operate moving picture, vaudeville, musical and other entertainment units. Incorporators are Carl R. Bamford, Charles G. Lee and H. Kenneth Lee all of Asheville. Chillicothe, O. — Harland Fend of Cleveland has succeeded Ray Allison as manager of the local Warner theater. Allison was called to Cleveland. Chicago Operator Union Resuming Local Autonomy (Continued from Page 1) manager of the union, last February, it has been under the direct jurisdiction of the I. A. T. S. E., which is now understood planning to step out of the control. Managerial Shifts Made In RKO Circuit Houses all play down to the public and play down too low. The public can stand very much better stuff than it ever gets the chance to show appreciation for. "The film is no place for argument. "I don't like propaganda in any form. Propaganda is trying to make people believe something you don't quite believe yourself. I think it is out of place in the films. "I think it is no tragedy for the stage to give way to the films. Art forms have to give way to one another. At one time people were very anxious because the stage was ousting the Passion Play. "The films should be devoted to entertainment. "I am a film fan. I go two or three times a week. "You can get far more personal drama on the film than on the stage." Wells related that for a long time he had thought that any possible association between himself and the films was hopeless. Then he saw "The Invisible Man," and came to believe that he might work out a satisfactory association. In his arrangement with Alexander Korda he has a measure of authority on what shall or shall not be used in the film. Alexander Korda also has made a second Wells film, "The Man Who Could Work Miracles." Both will be released through United Artists. In addition Wells has completed two screen treatments "Food of the Gods" and "The New Faust," which is based on his story "The Story of the late Mr. Elvsham." His agreement with Korda prohibits him from any Hollywood association for some time, Wells said. Replacement of Walter Gutteridge as manager of the RKO Rockaway Theaters by Michael Edelstein, manager of the RKO Franklin Theater, and the engagement of A. S. Rittenberg, former RKO division manager, to manage the 58th St. Theater has resulted in a number of managerial shifts. Jos. S. Powers, manager of the 58th St., has been named manager of Proctor's New Rochelle replacing Dave White who has been transferred to the Royal where he replaces Sam Rydell as manager. Rydell has been named to manage the Franklin Theater. San Antonio Slants San Antonio — Doug Askley, formerly employed by Interstate here, has gone to work for the Henry W. Hall Circuit at Kingsville, Tex. Bob Wilson and Jack Filipone are the two new floor captains at the Majestic. Lillian Mumme, Aztec and Texas secretary, was operated on for appendicitis recently at the Nix Hospital. Venita King of Interstate is back at work after a short illness. L. J. Sack returns this week from his trip to St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Dallas. Visitors: Miguel Benitez, theaterman of Weslaco; Jimmie Wass of the Agnes Theater, Corpus Christi; Florence and Jack McBride; Frank Hawks, flier. Minnesota Matters Minneapolis — The city's newest neighborhood theater, the West Gate, and its adjacent club room opened last week. Carl J. Fust is proprietor. Evansville — Geo. McClelland & Son of Alexandria have remodeled a cafe into a theater to seat 200. Windom — Wonderland theater has installed wide range sound equipment. Virginia — Steve Kapetio will erect a $50,000 theater to seat 150. Carlton — W. M. Miller has reopened his theater after remodeling. SHOW 6 "DRIVE" FILMS AT PARA. SALES MEET (Continued from Page 1) Beach Hotel, Chicago, Dec. 1-3. The pictures are "The Bride Comes Home", with Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray and Robert Young "Collegiate", with Joe Penner, Jack Oakie and Ned Sparks; "Rose of the Rancho", with Gladys Swarthout and John Boles; "The Milky Way," with Harold Lloyd; "Her Master's Voice", with Edward Everett Horton and Peggy Conklin, and "Millions in the Air", with Wendy Barrie and Willie Howard. The conference will be attended by J. E. Otterson, Adolph Zukor, George J. Schaefer, Russell Holman, Neil Agnew, J. J. Unger, Charles Reagan, Bob Gillham, Alec Moss, Don Velde and Al Wilkie from the home office, and Ernst Lubitsch, Watterson Rothacker, Chandler Sprague and Bill Pine from the studio, in addition to the following district managers: M. S. Kusell, P. A. Bloch, Harry Goldstein, William Erbb, Oscar Morgan, Jack Dugger, J. E. Fontaine, R. C. LiBeau, Hugh Braly, M. H. Lewis and B. Blotcky. RKO Gets First House In Cleveland Expansion (Continued from Page 1) expansion program here. The Lincoln will be closed for improvements and reopen with "Top Hat", RKO's plans call for acquisition of leases only, not purchase of property, it is understood. Film Folk in New Legit Shows Among film names in the casts of new Broadway legitimate shows are: Frank Craven in "For Valor," at the Empire; Stanley Smith, Noel Francis and Barbara Weeks in "Satellite," opening tomorrow at the Bijou; Melvyn Douglas and Elissa Landi in "Tapestry in Gray," Schulberg-Gering production coming to the Shubert next month, and Frank Conroy in "O Evening Star," to be produced by Harry Moses. SUNSHIN€ \\^y// IN THE DAY'S NEWS Inauguration of Sunday shows in Pennsylvania draws big attendance.