Harrison's Reports (1933)

December 30, 1933 “Rainbow Over Broadway” with Joan Marsh and Frank Albertson {Chesterfield Pictures; running time, 7ij4 min.) Just a fair program picture. For an independent production, the photography and sound are good. There is human interest in the story and some comedy, but it moves slowly and there is little suspense. The characters are sympathetic, with the exception of the step-mother of the family, whose whims and demands keep her husband and his three children serving her and stinting in order to keep her well provided. Joan Marsh is believable in the role of the daughter and gives a pleasant performance : — When Frank Albertson, an orchestra leader, calls to see Joan Marsh, she and her brother try to sell him some of their songs. They are interrupted by their step-mother, a former actress, who takes all of Albertson’s attention, singing for him and telling him how famous she had been. Albertson thinks she still has talent. He proposes to Joan but she refuses him because she feels that her family would be too much of a burden. Albertson and his orchestra are engaged at a swanky night club in New York but they have no headliner for their show. He suggests Joan’s stepmother and telephones the family to come to New York. They arrive and the mother is put in the show. Also the .songs written by Joan and her brother are used. The opening night both the mother and the songs are a sensation. Joan and her brother are engaged by some producers to write music for their new show. Joan and Albertson are married. The plot was adapted from a story by Carol Webster. It was directed by Richard Thorpe. In the cast are Grace Hays, Lucien Littlefield, Nat Carr, George Grandee, Gladys Blake, and others. Suitable for children, adolescents, and Sundays. “Alice in Wonderland” with All Star Cast {Paramount, Dec. 22; running time, 75 min.) The production end of this picture is good, but as for its entertainment value it is suitable only for special matinee performances for children; adults will be bored. It is not the fault of the director, who handled it skillfully; it is just that the book did not offer picture material. It is a fantasy and follows the style of the book in conversation and action. The story is about a young girl who falls asleep and dreams that .she has walked through the looking glass into the world beyond it. What follows are her experiences with peculiar characters, such as different animals that speak, and the conversations that she holds with them have no meaning. There is no human interest ; it is fantastic from beginning to end and as such leaves one cold. Even though Paramount has utilized the services of many of its well known players in the cast, such as Gary Cooper, Richard Arlen, Edward Everett Horton, Jack Oakie, Cary Grant, Baby LeRoy. and others, it is meaningless, for they are made up in costumes which hide their identity and unless the spectator recognizes the voice of the individual actor it will be impossible for one to know who is who. It has a few laughs which are brought about by the queerness of the characters and some of the advantages that Alice has. The plot was adapted from the story by Lewis Carroll. It was directed by Norman McLeod. Others in the cast are Harvey Clark. Jack Duft'y, Alec B. Francis, Skeets Gallagher, Raymontl Hatton, Sterling Holloway, Lucien Littlefield, and Mae Marsh. ■Suitable for children, adolescents, and Sundays. “Mr. Skitch” with Will Rogers and Zasu Pitts {Fox, Dec. 22; running time, 68 min.) Not a big picture, but a good comedy of program grade. It has much human interest, good comedy moments, and in addition to all this some excellent out-door shots of the Grand Canyon and of points west, worked into the picture as part of the tour that Rogers and his family were taking by automobile. There is nothing outstanding and it is not as amusing as some other Rogers pictures, but it keeps the audience entertained. One of the funniest situations is where Rogers frightens Harry Green into believing that he is a dangerous man. Florence Desmond, a clever actress. 207 provokes many laughs by her impersonations of different motion picture people, particularly by that of Katherine Hepburn ; which is remarkably good : — When the bank sells Rogers’ home on a foreclosure, Rogers and his wife, Zasu Pitts, and their four children leave the town and decide to travel to California in their car, the only thing left. During their travels the daughter, Rochelle Hudson, meets Charles Starrett, a West Point cadet who was spending his vacation doing some survey work; they fall in love. Rogers picks up odd jobs to buy their food, even becoming a guide and giving descriptions of places he knows nothing about. He gets a position in a gambling cafe, as a waiter, and backed up by a drunken patron he gambles and wins three thousand dollars. Talking it over with Zasu they decide that if they had just five hundred dollars more they could get back their old home and buy a new car. So Rogers goes back to the cafe but this time he is unlucky and loses all the money. Starrett, who was wealthy and wanted to marry Rochelle, sends them all home, and puts Rogers in business, running a tourist camp. Starrett and Rochelle marry. The plot was adapted from a story by Anne Cameron. It was directed by James Cruze. In the cast are Eugene Pallette, and others. Suitable for children, adolescents and Sundays. MORE ABOUT THE CANCELLATION CLAUSE IN THE CODE According to the provision in Part 6 (a?), subdivision “F,” Article V, of the Code an exhibitor may, when the Code goes into effect, cancel ten per cent of the pictures he may contract for, provided (i) he is not in default under the contract, and (2) has complied with all its terms. The question now is whether this provision, which went into effect December 7, the day on which the President signed the Code, is or is not retroactive. In my opinion this clause is just as much retroactive as are the labor provisions. If you had a contract with some employee of yours, and the Code set up a higher pay than that contained in the contract, and a maximum number of working hours that are lower than the maximum number stipulated in the contract, the terms about rate of pay and maximum hours would be superseded by those of the Code. The cancellation provisions cannot be treated differently. You are, however, not entitled to cancel ten per cent of all the pictures you have bought for the 1933-34 season, but only ten per cent of all such pictures released on or after December 7. The Code provision puts the exhibitor under obligation to send a notice to the distributor not later than fourteen days after the “general release thereof in the exchange territory out of which the Exhibitor is served.’’ Suppose a picture was released nationally, for example, on December 15, but is not to be shown at a first-run house until January 15; in such case January 15 will be, I believe, the release date of that picture for your zone as far as the Code is concerned. My reason for giving such interpretation to this provision is the fact that otherwise a producer could set a date for a poor picture and not release it for one or two months, and then assert that you did not avail yourself of your rights in accordance with the Code provision. The cancellation provision in the Code was incorporated for the purpose of enabling you to cancel a picture the people of j'our community might object to. How are you, then, going to know that a picture is demoralizing unless you are given an opportunity to see it? And you or your representative naturally cannot see it unless it is shown either at a theatre or in a projection room. Your right to cancel ten per cent of the pictures on any contract is not lost by your failure to notify the distributor on every tenth picture released. You may choose to cancel your ten per cent from among the last pictures in the contract. And my suggestion to you is to wait to cancel your quota toward the end of the season, when the producers, as a rule, release their worst pictures. Greetings of the Season HARRISON’S REPORTS