MGM Shorts Story (1938)

2 CRIME DOES NOT PAY Thit*be Always Caught — Police turn to the microscope to prove that Crime Does Not Pay. By means of ingenious laboratory devices an apparently perfect crime is unerringly solved. (22 mins.) A nn .fffrpT ' ' Think It Over — The screen exposes the fire insurance racket, telling the story of a gang of arsonists who, with the connivance of the owners, set fire to stores, collecting a percentage of the insurance. (20 mins ) AVa.-SEPT. A Criminal Is Born — The screen examines America’s most vital crime problem, the four million crimes committed annually by adolescents It presents the view that parent’s neglect is a major factor in juvenile delinquency. (21 mins.) MAV JVSE ■*<*<>•• — The case history of a mob of bank robbers who, trailed by G-Men, spend all their loot for hideaways and, having nothing left, are turned over by their “pals” to the police. (21 mins.) APR. MUSICALS The Magician’s Daughter — A musical comedy enhanced by the romance of a magician’s daughter. In addition to various feats of magic several new songs are featured. Cast includes Eleanor Dynn. Frank Albertson, Maurice Cass. (18 mins.) MAY-JVSE It’s In the Stars — A musical romance with a coed college locale, in which a “no date” edict is melted by the hot strains of a swing band. Cast features Jobnny Downs. Eleanor Dvnn, Roger Converse and Doris Weston. (19 mins.) MAY -JUKE PETE SMITH SPECIALTIES Football Thrills — Pete Smith’s thrill-packed review of the classic games of the 1937 season, featuring 176 college stars in 8 major gridiron contests. (10 mins.) Al'G.-SEPT. Follow The Arrow — Howard Hill, recognized as the world’s greatest archer, demonstrates his uncanny ability. He even duplicates the legendary feat of shooting an apple off a man’s head, while Pete Smith gasps on the sound track. (10 mins.) JULY Fisticuffs — Pete Smith presents a candid closeup of murder and mayhem in the cauliflower eargrowing industry, featuring ex-World’s Champion, llax Baer, Barrymore of the beakbusters and current contender for the heavyweight throne. JULY Anaesthesia — Pete Smith dramatizes one of the most important chapters in medical history, the development of Anaesthesia, from the ancient Egyptian method of hitting the patient over the head to today’s most modern methods. (10 mins.) MAY-JVNE Modeling for Monet — Going behind the scenes of the glamorous modeling profession Pete Smith delves into its secrets and comes up with a parade of gorgeous girls including “Miss Perfection.” a girl with a perfect figure. (19 mins.) APR The Story of Dr. Carter — A biography of a Negro slave child who grew up to become the greatest scientist of his race, saving the South its cotton crop and creating a $60,000,000 a year industry out of peanuts. (10 mins.) MAR. Penny’s Party — Successor to the 1937 Academy Award winner, “Penny Wisdom,” with noted newspaper home economist. Prudence Penny, again demonstrating mouth-watering food ideas in eye filling technicolor. Tricks and labor saving devices should prove a boon to harassed house wives. (9 mins.) MAR CAPT. AND THE KIDS A Day At The Beach — The Captain and his family decide to enjoy a quiet day at the seashore. But circumstances (read Hans and Fritz) permit neither quietude nor enjoyment. (10 mins.) JULY PouLTEY PoATES — The Captain suffers all the tribulations of a gardener, not only having the chickens eat all his seed, but also dreaming of a terrific fight with a giant rooster. (9 mins.) APR. The Caftain’s Pcf — A new source of trouble invades the Captain’s domicile in the form of Hamlet, the pup. He finally lands both the Captain and himself in the dog bouse. (9 mins.) APR. A convenient index, for reference purposes, of short subjects which have appeared in previous issues. HISTORICAL MYSTERIES Nostradamus — Carey Wilson tells the story of the man who foretold history’s major events 200 years ago — the World War, King Edward’s abdication, and a man named “Hister” who would conquer Austria in the twentieth century. (11 mins.) AVn.EEPT. The Man On the Rock — Napoleon is supposed to have died on St. Helena Island but many facts tend to show that he escaped and returned to France. Carev Wilson narrates this amazing story. (11 mins.) .Aid. -SEPT. The Bravest Of The Brave — History books state that the famed Marshall Ney, ally of Napoleon, was executed in France. Yet amazing evidence leads to the belief that Ney escaped to America. Carey Wilson presents the facts. (11 mins.) JULY Miracle Or Salt Lake — In 1848, apparently in answer to the Mormons’ prayers, sea gulls appeared in Salt Lake for the first time to save their crops from a plague of grasshoppers. Carey Wilson dis cusses the supernatural aspects. JI'l.Y Strange Glory — The authorship of the Tennessee Plan which brought victory to the North in the Civil War is credited to northern Generals. Yet a woman claimed this honor before twelve Congresses and it is significant that her claims were never denied. (11 mins.) J'.’LY loAQuiN Murrieta — Carey Wilson narrates the mys tery of a legendary desperado of the Old West, a bandit who brought law to California by stealing 1.000 times his weight in gold. (11 mins.) MAY-JVSE The Face Behind the Mask — The story of France’s famous Masked Prisoner, committed to a living death by Louis XIV’s “Lettres de Cachet.” Ii/ vestigating several theories as to his identity. (11 mins.) MAR. The Smif That Died — Famed radio commentator, John Nesbitt, in his screen debut, tells the strange story of the sailing vessel, Mary Celeste, which was discovered adrift fourteen days after sailing without a soul on board. (10 mins.) J AS. -FEB. Ibs Man In the Barn — John Wilkes Booth, assassin of Lincoln, was supposed to have burned to death in a barn. A charred body was found. But was it Booth’s! Facts accumulated through the years cast serious doubts upon the matter (10 mins.) FITZPATRICK TRAVELTALKS Cairo, City of Contrast — Views of the city of Cairo, depicting native life, ancient and modern structures, the famous Mohammed Ali Mosque, the royal palace and the 5000-year-old pvramids. (9 mins.) AVG.-SEPT. Leo, Junior, announces a short-cut to prizes for showmen icho sell shorts. See buck cover for details. MINIATURES City of Little Men — Heartwarming story of Boys Town, a community of boys founded over twenty years ago by a priest who believed that there is no such thing as a bad boy. Everyday life in this smallest of all U. 8, cities is portrayed (11 mins.) AEG. -SEPT. Streamlined Swing — In a story concerning a balmy millionaire and a dining car, the Original Sing Band, musicians who imitate musical instruments, present a new type of swing melody. (9 mins.) AVG.-SEPT. Tufafaoo (What Do You Thine?) — A white mat; in the tropics defies a native superstition and shortly thereafter meets sudden disaster. Some inex plicable incidents tend to brdster the theory of supernatural revenge. (11 mins.) MAY-JCSE Hollywood Ha.ndicap — Featuring ten Negro musicians viho imitate musical instruments with their hands the story concerns a horse race at .Santa Anita The camera introduces many film stars as they roam around the track. (10 mins.) Tracking the Sleeping Death — The story of a battle for life in plague-ridden Africa in which MajorGeneral Sir David Bruce, a Soldier of Science, fights the dreaded tse tse fly to save a continent from sleeping death. (10 mins.) MAY-JVSE The Foegotten Step — The true story of a man who planned a perfect crime. 'There was only one thing he did not take into consideration — the weather — and this finally cost him his life. (10 mins.) APR. That Mothers Might Lite — The heroic story of Dr Semmelweiss whose discovery of the cause of childbed fever that has saved the lives of count less mothers, was ridiculed by bis associates and cost him his sanity. (10 mins.) APR. Life In Sohetown. U.S.A. — Depicting the situation when a police commissioner decides to enforce all the antiquated laws on the statute books, ridiculous as they may seem in these modem times (10 mins.) MAR. ROBERT BENCHLEY How TO Watch Football — Benchley tackles the intricacies of football from the spectator’s viewpoint, finally deciding that the radio is the best medium for “watching” the game. (9 mins.) AVG.-SEPT. How TO Read — Discoursing upon the art of reading. Benchley says eye-strain develops from reading in subways, dentists offices, club rooms and beds. Conclusion is gathered that it’s best to let your wife read to you. (9 mins.) AVG.-SEPT. How To Raise .4 Baby — Benchley takes up the various phases of child raising, giving the last word (he hopes) on such complicated questions as the care and feeding of infants and how to prepare the morning bottle. (9 mins.) JVEY Courtship Of The Newt — Benchleyan dissertatin concerning the lowly Newt, its habits and customs and especially its love life. Between a complicated chart and a more complicated lecture the conclusion is reached that no Newts is good Newts. (8 mins.) JVLY An Evening Alone — Another learned Benchley dis sertation, this time expounding the pleasures to be had in spending an evening alone. Becoming so involved in making himself comfortable, he has little time to enjov the arrangement. (9 mins.) MAR. OUR GANG COMEDIES .Aladdin’s Lantern — The Gang goes in for histrionics, presenting a play in which Alfalfa plays Aladdin and attempts to spirit Darla away. But the magic carpet device fails, bouncing them both back to reality. (10 mins.) AVG.-SEPT. Party Fever — Alfalfa and Butcb agree that the winner of a boy’s week mayoralty race will take Darla to tbe strawberry festival. Both have elaborate election campaigns but Waldo, a dark horse, wins the election and the girl. (10 mins.) AVG.-SEPT. The Little Ranger — Alfalfa dreams he's a cowboy and that he and Darla are at Butch’s mercy. He awakens to K.O. Butch for manhandling him in his dream. (10 mins.) JVLY Feed ’Em and Weep — Tbe Gang crashes a birthday party in honor of Darla Hood’s father, causing havoc generally and Mr. Hood to leave the table hungry, in particular. (11 mins.) MAY-JVSS