Hollywood Motion Picture Review (1937-1940)

Page 8 HOLLYWOOD MOTION PICTURE REVIEW August 14, 1937 PREVIEWS (Continued from page S) ANNAPOLIS SALUTE RKO-Radio GOOD PROGRAM PICTURE. STORY IS WELL WRITTEN, CONTAINS NICE ROMANCE, PLENTY OF COMEDY & SUSPENSE. Produced by Robert Sisk. Directed by Christy Cabanne. Screenplay by John Twist. Story by Christy Cabanne. Photographed by Russell Metty, A.S.C. Recorded by Earl A. Woolcott. Release date Sept. 10, 1937. Running time at preview 64 minutes. Bill Martin Julia Clemmens Chief Martin .... Clarke Parker .. Bunny Oliver .... Tex Clemmens . Bob Wilson Mary Lou Dwight Moore . THE CAST JAMES ELLISON MARSHA HUNT HARRY CAREY VAN HEFLIN ANN HOVEY ARTHUR LAKE DICK HOGAN MARILYN VERNON JOHN GRIGGS Rating: B. F. I. K. O. b. The Story: When midshipman Ellison fights his room-mate hfeflin for slandering the service, the latter declares he v.'ill remain in the service only long enough to see Ellison discharged. Because of an innocent visit with Marsha Hunt, Ellison beco.mes involved in an accident that causes his arrest. Unable to explain without implicating Marsha, Ellison plans to resign. Heflin has a change of heart and causes the matter to be cleared up satisfactorily. Leaving on a cruise, the two men are kissed by Marsha, but her kiss to Ellison is the real thing. COMMENT: This story, built around the great American Naval training school at Annapolis, is exceedingly well written by writer John Twist and with the capable direction by Christy Cabanne. emerges as an A-1 program picture. There is a nice romantic interest, plenty of good comedy and novel story twists. James Ellison is splendid in his role and Marsha Hunt lends complete feminine charm with her portrayal. Arthur Lake is responsible for much of the comedy while Van Heflin scores with a semi-heavy role. Harry Carey and Ann Hovey are excellent in their respective parts. The photography by Russell Metty is exceptionally fine, deserving special credit for the attractive academy scenes. The picture is produced by Robert Sisk whose work is commended for delivering an all-around clean and entertaining picture. Advertising: Title is excellent and should prove attractive draw. Dress ushers in naval attire. Contact local recruiting office for equipment, uniforms, etc., for display. Sailor patroling theatre front. Offer prize for best answer to naval geometrical problem. Play navy's theme music as radio lobby or street ballyhoo attraction.— JOE BLAIR. Facts and Gossip Anna Sten's first Grand National picture will be an original story, written, directed and produced by Victor Schertzinger. The Sten vehicle, a singing, dancing romance, will be tentatively called "Love Me Again." John Francis Larkin has finished screen adaptation. Production will start within three weeks. "With Pleasure Madame," Miss Sten's second story, is -being adapted by Hans Kraly and Albert J. Cohen, authors of the original, which Eugen Frenke will produce following the Schertzinger production.— ^ William A. "The difference between success and failure," says William "Bill" Seiter, successful Hollywood director, "is chiefly the difference between intellectual energy and mental sloth. The power to think is God's most precious gift to man. The most powerful force in creation is thought. Everything that is accomplished, first existed In man's mind. Without thinkers the world would perish. The greatest thinking has been done by those who cared little for money. The world knows the poetry of Shakespeare, who probably cared less about money than any man who ever lived, but who can name a money baron of Shakespeare s day?' A true psychologist. Bill Seiter is a fine example of what right thinking and ambition can do for a man. The son of Colonel Charles J. Seiter of the U. S. Army, Bill was born in New York City on June 10. He was educated at the Hudson River Military Academy, and intended taking up a commercial career. But upon graduating from the Military Academy he got the urge to travel and see the world. So he entered the employ of an importing firm and went to China as one of its representatives. After a year in China Bill decided that if the food in China represented a cross section of what the food in other countries was like, he would rather do less traveling and stick to good old American cooking. So he resigned and came back to America. He arrived In Los Angeles from the Orient in 1915, and cast about for something to do. Attracted by the glamour of the picture industry and finding that he could make money by just sitting around cafe tables and being a prop, a piece of scenery or decoration, he decided to linger a while In the land of sunshine and perpetual summertime. When the monotonous extra work became unbearable, he turned to the more exciting pastime of stunt man. Having been trained from childhood as a crack rider, he doubled and did all of the hazardous stunts for a top name western star. After riding in a good many thrillers and doing every conceivable stunt from jumping a horse across a twenty foot wide, thousand foot high, canyon, to crashing a burning plane from five thousand feet and diving off the top of a ten story flaming building into a net that looked every bit as large as a dime, he decided there was no future to being a cowboy or stunt man and that the pay wasn't commensurate for the chances he took. So he became an assistant director instead. After serving a long apprenticeship as an assistant director he graduated to a full-fledged directorship at First National where he directed between 40 and 50 shorts before he got his chance to direct features. He subsequently worked at every major studio in the Industry. Among the successful pictures he has directed are such box-office champions as: "Roberta," "The Richest Girl In the World," "Happiness Ahead," "Thanks For The Buggy Ride," "Hot Saturday," "Good Morning, Judge," "Footlights and Fools," "Love Racket," "Sunny," "Kiss Me Again," "If I Had A Million," "A Chance at Heaven," "Man Proposes," "The Daring Young Man," "Orchids To You," "The Bowery Princess," "Dimples," "Stowaway," and "That's My Affair." He is happily married to lovely Marian Nixon, former star, and they have an adopted son, Christopher Nixon Seiter. Bill belongs to the Lakeside Golf Club, Los Angeles Tennis and Hollywood Athletic clubs. Is rated one of the best amateur golfers on the Pacific Coast, shooting regularly In the low seventies. He is also a crack horseman and tennis player. Six feet, one inch tall, he weighs 185 pounds: has black hair and hazel eyes, is stimulating and his every fiber tingles with life. He meets people with a gracious, dignified bearing and a hearty handshake, and wherever he goes he radiates joy and exerts a powerful influence. He puts so much enthusiasm, vim and vigor in his work that it is impossible for an actor or actress not to do their best work under his expert tutelage. His qualifications for success are: a pleasing personality, a habitual love of fair play, consideration for others, courtesy and tact, a happy disposition, and conscientiousness and enthusiasm. "The most fascinating stars," according to Bill, "are not the ones with the most beauty, but the ones with the most winning personality and manners which express cheerfulness, contentment, benignity and love. "Personality," he continued, "is a group of traits or characteristics which makes one person distinct from all others. It is a quality brought about by the coordination of inspiration, aspiration and execution. It is that feature which covers a multitude of graces, somewhat difficult of accurate definition, yet instantly recognizable by all, in the person who possesses it." Editor’s Note: Fictioniied biographies is a new feature for Hollywood Review. Exhibitor-subscribers are granted permission to use these articles in house organs and in their local newspapers in connection with picture showings. Seiter By JOE PEARSON Charley McCarthy is a name which made ventriloquism famous over the radio. Many of the studios either have stories in production wherein a dummy plays a leading role (no pun intended) or are frantically searching for one. Many writers declare they tried to interest the studios in the possibilities of ventriloquism as a screen idea more than three years ago but their efforts fell on deaf ears. Now, since Charley is the rage, they all want stories. Sylvia Sidney Is enroute to New York on the streamline train where she is scheduled to do a play. She is closing both her apartment and beach house and plans to establish permanent residence In New York. Upon her return to Hollywood late In the fall, she is scheduled *o do '-You and Me" for Paramount. — Paramount signed a one-picture deal with Director Kurt Neumann to guide production of ' Yesterday's Cheers,” sole football picture on the company's current schedule. The story Is by Albert Shelby Levino. The cast is not yet set. Ne umann made his reputation as a director with Universal, directing several productions, among them a series of comedies featuring Slim Summerville. His most recent productions were "Espionage " for Metro and the two Bobby .Breen pictures, "Rainbow On the River" and "Let's Sing Again." Walter Pidgeon, given the male lead opp'osite Maureen O'Sullivan in "My, Dear Miss Aldrich" because of his performance, in "Saratoga" was yeste'rday signed to a long-term confract by M.G.M.