The Hollywood Reporter (Jan-Jun 1933)

1933 1^ Klil?>®ffil1fi6<ll pjge Thftti PARA'S -HELLO LVLKYIIOIIY' ALL KAIL SMITH AXO SOI^CS Seiter's Direction, Song Numbers OK "HELLO EVERYBODY" Paramount Direction William A. Seiter From Story by Fannie Hurst Screen Play Dorothy Yost, Lawrence Hazard Music and Lyrics ,.. Arthur Johnston, Sam Cos low Photography Gilbert Warrenton Cast: Kate Smith, Randolph Scott, Sally Blane, Charles Crapewin, George Barbier, Fern Emmet t, Frank Darien, Julia Swayne Cordon, Wade Boteler, jerry Tucker, Marguerite Campbell, Frank McGlynn, Sr., Erville Alderson, jack Pennick, Edward Davis, Ted Collins, Hallene Hill, Paul Kruger, Lon Poff. In spots where the warbling Kate Snjth is popular (and that's just about everywhere in the U.S.A.) "Hello, Everyjody" should be a mop-up. From a t:oint just before its mid-section, the picrure is one long song-fest, giving the famous broadcaster every possible op; ortunity and a great variety of numbers to sing. The picture, need''?' to say, will be a teirible bore to e who don't relish taking therr D-singers straight, but when one ..n.iders the difficulty of tailoring a stc y to suit this particular songbird, the e is much to be said in praise of of :ne manner in which Paramount has presented her on the screen. The yarn is homesoun, down-toe.^r»h and not overloaded with maudlin hokum. The hokum is there, but in palatable doses — even the one I Mc :her ballad is cut to one chorus — I anc for this we are duly grateful. J Kate practically plays herself, a farm girl — and a successful one, until the city power company threatens tc cut off the water supoiy by building a dam. Then Kate, when every other method fails, goes East to sing over the radio (the opportunity having come to her through her efforts at a local "social") and raise funds to fight the power company in court. She gets back in the "nick of time" and goes into her own sock to save the valley for her people. Not much of a story, but well-tailored for the talents of its star. The screen play and dialogue are O.K.. and William Seiter's directorial work shines brightly in many sequences. There were too many close-ups of Kate Smith and she was atrociously "angled" in many scenes, but there is '"10 denying the power and personality of this gal. Some swell song numbers were contributed by Arthur Johnston and Sam Coslow. and Kate wrung every last drop out of *em. "Moon Song" and the Pickaninny number stand out in our mind as the best, and Kate's short "dance numh"'" Is sure to wow the customers. ir. Sallv Ebne. julia I and others are good in support. Charlie Crapewin and Frank RKO-Roxy Expects $110,000 Week New York. — Although RKO officials will not give out official figures, it is understood that the RKO-Roxy grossed $70,000 from the opening until last night and expects $110,000 on the week. That means a profit of about $30,000, the house nut being around $80,000. M. H. Aylesworth is in charge, Roxy being in the hospital. Williams Drives For 3000 Franchises New York. — J. D. Williams and his new First Choice Pictures organization have started their final drive to get 3000 exhibitor franchises within the next six months. A booklet has been prepared for the exhibitors, setting forth alt details of the scheme. Williams will leave for the West within a few days to arrange for the start of production and plans to start distribution by next summer, at which time he expects to have all his franchises sold. Sfu Erwin Replaces Taylor In Western Stuart Erwin replaces Kent Taylor In the lead of"Under The Tonto Rim," Paramount's Zane Grey western which Henry Hathaway directs. Taylor was tied up for another ten days in "Good Company," with execs figuring Erwin a natural as a substitute in the lead spot. Snell Leaving Para. The resignation of Paul Snell has finally been accepted at Paramount as of this Saturday. It Is expected that he will join the Arch Reeve staff at Fox. Anyone Seen Carey's Pup? Carey Wilson Is desolate. He has lost his Sealyham pup and he is offering a very juicy reward for its return. If anyone finds the dog and will phone Oxford 0257. Carey will call and swap the reward for the pup. Hector Turnbull III Hector Turnbull, associate producer with the Jesse Lasky unit at Fox, is home with a severe cold, but is expected back at the studio in a few days. New Pictures On B way This Week New York. — "Cavalcade." the Fox special, will have Its New York premiere at the Gaiety Theatre tomorrow night. Other new arrivals for the week are: "Billion Dollar Scandal" at the Paramount, with Cantor and lessel on the stage;"The Mummv" at the Mayfair, and 'Frisco Jenny" at the Roxy, all on Friday; "20.000 Years In Sing Sing" at the Strand next Monday. Hughes May Make His Next At Met. Howard Hughes is negotiating with W. R. Marshall, studio manager at Metropolitan, to take space there for his next production, another untitled air story. This is seen as an indication that Hughes is readying to return to active production shortly. Gene Fowler Returns To Do Chevalier Picture Gene Fowler, with his "run-down soul" apparently restored by a summer at Fire Island, arrived in Hollywood last night and will start work at the Paramount studio today. His first job will be a new story for Chevalier, in collaboration with Benjamin Glazer, Agents Battle Indies (Continued from page 1 ) Darien earn special mention in their brief but well-acted roles. Don't hesitate to give this bang-up exploitation, but remember that it's all Kate Smith. If they go for Kate Smt*h. they'll stomr-jds your doors. If they don't — this picture won't mean a thing. The producers know that; accordingly the refusal. Other charges are that the producers agree that the artists shall be worked only a given number of hours a day and invariably tack on extra hours with the plea that this or that went wrong and these shots had to be in the can to keep on schedule, etc. Many of the agents are sore also because of the attempts of most indie producers to try to deal direct with the artists, playing on their sympathy, promising things that never materialize, causing the representatives a lot of grief in trying to unravel the deal after It has been made, and the artists finding that promises are made but never fulfilled. One important member of the AMA, refusing to be quoted, said yesterday: "These producers deserve no consideration because they resort to methods that serve both to cheat the actor and cause open breaches in the relations between the agent and his client. In two arguments today I pointed out to the producers that my clients had gone to work for them at a reduced salary, and all because the producers had begged me to let them have my players with a cut since they could not afford the full salary. Their cheating is the gratitude you get In return for doing them a service." We take back a number of unkind p things we've said about movie entrepreneurs and give you play backers in J stead. "Angels." they call them, but evidently they're sinners at heart because, if one must forgive them, one must do it on a basis of "they know not what they do." . . . F'rinstance, an angel in town is about to back C another show and he walked into a theatrical office the other day. all pepped up over a brilliant discovery '^ of an actor he had seen. He had gone to the movies the night before and had watched a fellow by the name of ''* Marshall, Herbert Marshall, if he re , membered correctly, and he said: I "You know, that guy's a swell actor; L he ought to be on the stage!" . . . And while we're on the subject of such is C fame: MCM sent a boy over to Radio ^ City the other day to deliver some im / portant papers to Roxy. About an / hour later the boy returned — with the \ papers — and reported that he had | been unable to locate Roxy. When asked why, he explained that he had asked a watchman, a workman and an elevator boy if they knew where he could find Mr. Roxy or Mr. Rothafel and none could tell him and his d name had not yet been put up on the ■ directory. . . It would have been more ri logical if the boy had disappeared, be jiii cause they tell us that strange people ' are found wandering around the place, ol following lights and arrows with a queer, futile expression on their faces, 'I but a small gleam of hope in their I eyes that they may yet find their way ' out. ' • The Mayfair last week, as you all know, ran a novelty double feature bill for the holidays. "Orphan Annie" for the sake of the kiddies' afternoon trade, and "Penguin Pool Murder" for the grownups. After listening to a ,group of cute children discussing what \ movie to go to, we think the pictures should have been reversed. . . . The cute children were standing in front of the Paramount (which was in the throes of a small riot from too much crowd) and one of them said; "How about the Mayfair?" And one of her little playmates answered, "Aw, who wants to go see 'Orphan Annie' !" Hmm, THAT for the dear kiddies. . . . • But that's nothing to what can be done with "quotes." Pity the reviewer who says a picture is a beautiful flop. He'll find himself quoted as having said "beautiful." It sometimes looks as though good advertising was the wages of sins of omission. . . . Lynn Farnol enlisted the kindly services of a dear friend to help him with his Christmas shopping. They walked the town for hours, selecting things carefully and well. And when they got back to the parked car, the kind friend found a kind policeman waiting with a nice new ticket that just had to be filled in with a name. . . . However, Lynn, full of the old Santa, finally fixed it so's a boy scout shouldn't become the victim of a kind deed by promising the kind cop a couple of tickets for "The Kid from Spain,"