The Film Daily (1936)

THE -&JW. DAILY Monday, Jan. 6, 1936 HEARST AND WARNERS LAUNCHING TELEVISION (Continued from Page 1) last August during a demonstration of his apparatus for home television, that television pictures could be produced with clarity in any desired size and that sets could be put on the market at any time but that the problem of transmission had not been solved. It is understood that a solution of the transmission difficulty has now been reached by Farnsworth. In preparation for the launching of television, Warners are understood to be moving their research laboratories to Hollywood. As the pioneer in the use of sound motion pictures, Warners have had the experience and are cognizant of the problems arising from the launching of new type of entertainment. They also have the facilities and experience for producing popular entertainment in quantity. Hearst's large financial resources and his control of world-wide news-gathering organizations and his contact with authors and others through his magazines and newspapers make this a powerful combination in the field of television. The Farnsworth Co. is regarded in a strong patent position as regards television both through its own patents and through pooling agreements with the Baird Television Co. of England and one of the largest German companies. Bidding for Coogan-Grable Unit Both RKO and Paramount theaters are bidding for the new Fanchon & Marco unit, "Hollywood Secrets," which is making a tour of presentation houses. The un;t stars Jjckie Coogan and Betty Grable, supported by The Collegians, and depicts behind-the-scene activities connected with the production of movies, including the shooting of a scene in which Coogan and Grable emote. The unit has also been known as "Making Movies." More "Maternelle" Openings "La Maternelle," the TapernouxMetropolis release now going into its thirteenth week at the 55th St. Playhouse and also having runs in Boston, Baltimore and Minneapolis, opens tomorrow at the Belasco in Washington and on or about Jan. 20 at the Loop Theater, Chicago. The French film has already drawn an attendance of more than 100,000 in New York. Hardeen in Vitaphone Film Theodore Hardeen, famous magician and brother of the late Harry Houdini, heads the roster of players in "Medium Well Done," a one-reel novelty film, which enters production at the Brooklyn Vitaphone studio today. Others in the cast of this short are Gertrude Mudge, Margaret Breen and Paul E. Burns, all of the Broadway stage. Lloyd French is directing. NEWS of the DAY BIG BUILDING PROGRAM Washington — Mr. and Mrs. John J. Payette and family have gone to Miami for a month. New Haven, Conn. — Joel C. Leighton, 64, head of the Mutual Advertising Co., Meadow St., film advertising firm, and former exchange manager here, died last week after an illness of two weeks. He came to New Haven 18 years ago from Addison, Me., his birthplace, and served as manager for Roberts & Cole and for Vitagraph in their distribution and booking offices here. He launched the Mutual company eight years ago. waukee neighborhood house. It marked the second act of violence at the theater, operated by Harry Hart, and at which no labor trouble has been reported. Middletown, Md. — R. H. Hart, who operates the Memorial Hall here, is reported planning to open the theater in Boonsboro. Milwaukee — A stench bomb was set off recently in the Atlas, Mil Lincoln, Neb. — If the turn of the New Year is any indicator of business recovery, Nebraska and especially this territory looks okay. Six of the nine downtown houses here gave midnight shows New Year's Eve and packed houses were in evidence everywhere. Considering it's the first time in years for legal liquor and plenty of other amusements were advertised, this is an excellent showing for the year's cinema future. Milwaukee — Al Gullickson has returned to the console of the Warner Theater organ in Milwaukee. » » » TIMELY TOPICS « « « Edward Small Sees History De-Bunked in Coming Films HTHE year 1936 will see the production of a great number of historical films. But what they will present is history with a difference. There will be less of the awesomeness, less of the blind respect that has often marked the modern's approach to a historical character. Where there has been an effort to show something of the human being behind some great name, that effort has thus far been a little one. The trend from now is toward greater frankness and, therefore, more positive drama. "Diamond Jim" and "The Story of Louis Pasteur" are only a beginning. Napoleon, Marie Antoinette and Mary of Scotland, all contemplated for early production, will be great steps ahead in the direction of honesty. As for Reliance Pictures, we have on our schedules the filming of the stories of Beau Brummell and Jim Fisk, and we are contemplating a minimum of punch-pulling. Rupert Hughes' "Life of George Washington" created quite a stir when it was published several years ago. There was a great to-do as to whether popular heroes should be placed under the light of intimate perusal. In book form it created sufficient sensation. Now one of the major producing companies has the book under consideration, and its announcement as a forthcoming picture will be made shortly. Such has been the advance of the historical film. I see a strong relationship between the newsreels of today and the feature films of the future. These newsreels are telling the truth about people, showing them as they are. Feature pictures are going to do the same thing, not as a plotted scheme to deflate heroes, but because the public has come to realize that heroes are also human beings. Pictures will make men and women out of celebrities; they will not reduce them to the positions of paragons of either virtue or vice. With this growing popularity of the historically true film, there is also a growing necessity for absolute authenticity. The audiences, deriving a greater intimacy from the characters on the screen, will be in a position to detect the slightest physical inconsistencies. We have got to be more careful than ever in the way we produce a picture. Every studio will be forced to increase its research staff so that a minimum of these inconsistencies is made possible. The motion picture public of the early days didn't give a whoop for authenticity. But make one error in the size of a hatbrim, and the letters will flood the studio. — Edward Small. Five Special Dates on "Zero" Five special pre-release key city engagements have been set on "Ceiling Zero," Warner-Cosmopolitan production co-starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien. They are the Saenger, New Orleans; Brandeis, Omaha; Orpheum, Des Moines; Orpheum, Minneapolis, and Orpheum, Sioux City, la. (Continued from Page 1) building, new raw film building, new wardrobe building, new film vaults, new cutting rooms and other facilities. Studio executives estimate that the company can save money in the long run by putting up adequate facilities of its own instead of being obliged to rent space from time to time. Committees Appointed For S.M.P.E. Meeting (Continued from Page 1) mittees which are to promote arrangements for the session. C. H. Stone is chairman of the local arrangements and reception committee. Herbert Griffin of New York will handle projection and O. F. Neu of New York is in charge of the apparatus exhibit. Mrs. C. H. Stone will be hostess in charge of all entertainment for women guests. Seven technical sessions are planned during the four-day convention. A get-together luncheon will take place on the initial day and the semiannual banquet will be held on April 29. St. Louis Squibs St. Louis — Checkup of local houses indicates that New Year's shows enjoyed the best business of any year since 1930. The Lyric Theater in Salisbury, Mo., was damaged recently to the extent of $35,000. George R. Hart, theater owner, insurance broker and justice of the peace at Ferguson, Mo., was robbed of $370 in cash and his automobile, with a batch of belongings, by a highwayman near Wellston, Mo., several days ago. Baltimore Bits Baltimore — Plans are reported to be in progress by the Claymore Amusement Co. to convert the properties at 1918 to 1932 Hartford Ave. into a motion picture theater. "Captain Blood" has been held over at the Stanley for a second week. The Little Theater has held over "La Maternelle." Candid Reel Titled Celebrated Pictures' third issue of "New York Uncensored," candid newsreel, has been titled "Secret Operator— 28 V2," and will be ready for national release Feb. 1. Ted Lloyd wrote and directed, Lee Mortimer handled the dialogue, Edward Ruby, camera, and the entire production was under the supervision of A. Schreiber.