The Film Daily (1936)

THE Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1936 2^ DAILY 1 REVIEWS OF THE NEW FILMS FOREIGN "MELO", in German with English titles; presented by Arthur Ziehm; directed by Dr. Paul Czinner from the play by Henri Bernstein, with Elisabeth Bergner, Rudolf Forster, Anton Edthofor, et al. At the 55th Street Playhouse. Well directed and acted drama, which gives Miss Bergner as the wife of a violinist in an orchestra who falls in love with a visiting English violinist, a friend of her husband, an opportunity for restrained yet vivid acting. Rather heavy fare, but she makes the tragic ending very effective. SHORTS 'Movie Melodies on Parade" 10 mins. Paramount (Headliner) Smart 11 mins. Smart vocal and orchestral treatment of excerpts from popular song numbers featured in well known motion pictures, with scenes from the pictures interspersed as atmosphere. 1 Andre Kostelanetz and his orches. tra put on a showmanship performi ance amid a sumptuous set, and the vocal work of a mixed chorus of 14 I is especially commendable. Mary [ Eastman is featured in one vocal I number. The selections afford a nice I variety of pop and semi-classical l' numbers with a wide appeal. / "Moscow Moods" (Headliner) Paramount 11 mins. Novelty Smash Colorful smash of Russian songs and dances featuring Yascha Bunchuk and orchestra as Cossacks of the Czarist regime. The setting is an enormous wine cellar with the Cossack singers seated at a long table. There are several dozen performers, and they have grand voices. Bunchuk in Cossack costume ileads the singing. Three dancers tare the highlight in a specialty number— the dagger dance, which cliftnaxes a novelty reel in a whirl of Ifast movement. Musical numbers [are "The Volga Boatman," "Dark lEyes," "Rare Old Wine," "The Barpel." "The Collie" (Varieties) Paramount Knockout This is a knockout for gorgeous pastoral scenes as a background for the amazing work of a shepherd dog as it carries out the intricate commands of the shepherd by whistles and signals from a distance. The collie maneuvers the flock of sheep at will, singling out a lame animal and bringing it up to the shepherd, cutting out five sheep on another occasion and herding them into a small corral, and finally, with the help of a younger dog, rounding up the entire flock and bringing them through the pasture gate without a bit of help from the shepherd. To watch this dog work is a sheer delight to any dog-lover. The training of the collies from the time they are pups forms the early part of the reel. The pastoral shots are like paintings. coast-line, and customs of the natives with explanatory narrative. One of the most entertaining of travel pictures dealing with French scenes and customs, from its small farms, divided by stone fences covered with earth and flowers, to the fishing industry centering about Concarneau. A good portion of the film is devoted to the rocky island just off the coast, Mont St. Michel, that successfully resisted many British attacks in the middle ages. "Finger Points" (Sportlight) Paramount 10 mins. Fine For the lovers of sports dogs, this one will wow 'em. Grantland Rice features champ pointers and setters, and shows in detail how a group of these are trained. One of the most remarkable animal shots ever screened is that showing one dozen of these grand hunting dogs on point. They stand absolutely motionless, and the series of shots of this group stand out like oil paintings. Slow motion shots of quail hunting, with the dogs going through their work of retrieving, rounds out one of the finest reels of its kind ever produced. Ted Husing is the narrator. "The Headless Horseman" (ComiColor Cartoon) Celebrity 10 mins. Fair While not so attractively presented as some of this colorful series, it holds an interest for younger fans for its burlesque telling of Washington Irving's story of Ichabod Crane and the headless horsemen — a tale of E utch days in New York. Color workis good, animation leans too far to i the burlesque, but the cartoon affords a number of laughs. "Brittany" (Industrial) French Line 20 mins. Splendid Travel Film A trip through picturesque Brittany, its farms, villages, Calvarys, "A Clean Shaven Man" (Popeye the Sailor) Paramount 7 mins. Swell A fast and very funny cartoon with Popeye and his pal Pluto beating it to a barber shop to get clean shaves when they hear Oliveoyl the waitress singing a number, "I Want a Clean Shaven Man." The barbers are out getting shaved, so they go to work on each other, with disastrous consequences for Popeye. But he evens the score with the big goof by taking his daily dose of spinach and then wiping up the barber shop with his friendly enemy and rival in love. The payoff comes when they reach the lunch counter in time to see their sweetie stepping out with a gent with long flowing whiskers. Another RCA First ULTRAVIOLET RECORDING Newest box office draw Not since High Fidelity sound in 1932 have theater owners had such a chance for increased profits as now. Sound that you've never before listened to is being recorded by RCA Photophone's new Ultraviolet process. You'll be amazed. Your audiences thrilled, and your attendance increased! But don't miss your share of profits. Use RCA Photophone equipment, whose sound head, amplifiers and speakers can handle without loss or distortion the higher frequencies recorded by the new, exclusive UltraViolet method. A tempting offer from a magazine to write 5,000 words on his experiences as the director of Ann Harding in the majority of her biggest screen successes, has been definitely rejected by Edward H. Griffith— DAVE EPSTEIN Cincinnati Chatter Cincinnati — Following the transfer of Maurice Chase from this city to manage the First Division office in Buffalo, J. M. Johnston has been assigned to succeed him here as special representative. Sam Haber will cover eastern Kentucky, while Frank Decker and I. Landau will cover western Kentucky, under the supervision of Abe Kaufman. Alpne Theaters has taken over the State, Point Pleasant. H. Potts is manager. Mills Theater, Hamilton, opens May 1 under new ownership. The Palace, Parkersburg, W. Va., owned by Mrs. P. M. Thomas, was destroyed by fire. RCA-Victor has opened an office here in the Union Trust Bldg. under Norman Bass, district manager. Lester Rosenfeld, RKO representative, was slightly injured in an auto crash. Recent visitors: Haskell Masters of U. A., Harry Rathner of Burroughs-Tarzan, Harry Thomas and Robert McKinney of First Division. RCA PHOTOPHONE RCA TRANS LUX • RCA SONOTONE Fifth Week for "Rose Marie" RCA Mf c Inc Camden, N. J. Cincinnati — M-G-M's "Rose Marie" has gone into a fifth week downtown. An RCA Subsidiary