Motion Picture (Aug 1939-Jan 1940)

ITWEi OURSELVES COMMENTS ON THIS HERE PICTURE EUSINESS By LARRY REID ADDING It All Up : They're going to ■ give Shirley Temple bigger and better stories . . . Those in charge of her destiny realize that the "little child shall lead them" plot has gone to the well too often . . . They are determined that the child wonder shall retain her hold on the public . . . Even though she is a wonder child and exceptionally talented, she is not ready yet for Cam ill e and Zaza, despite the fact she has grown older and prettier ... So what to do ? I believe she'll continue to play the "little child shall lead A^ictor McLaglen, Henry Fonda and the big boys and girls". . . Which is the only possible plot unless she enters the realm of juvenile fantasy like the land of Nod or Never-Never Land . . . But in that realm Walt Disney has a sign which says "No Trespassing". . . Youngsters who have been contemporary with Shirley are fast growing up. Adult Ways SOME of the kids are now taking on adult ways (personalities as well as plots) without having had to,chuck it all because of adolescence . . . meaning Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Freddie Bartholomew, Deanna Durbin . . . They've grown old gracefully. They've put away their childish things — traded their dolls for lipsticks, their toy airplanes for razors, their juvenile precocities for adult emotions, without batting an eyelid . . . They should keep going now as long as C. Aubrey Smith and May Robson . . . Meanwhile Shirley has new rivals in the child field — Gloria Jean (who has a voice) and Martin Spellman and Bobs Watson (who have emotions). And Sandy Henville will make you forget Baby LeRoy. Or did you ever remember him? By the way, whatever became of the Babe? Probably eating his spinach at a military school. How Come? WONDER how staid Londoners took Gene Autry taking his boss into a hotel public room. If war doesn't break out I wonder how they'll take Mickey 100 Rooney when he arrives in London — and shows them how they cut rugs in America. Somehow Londoners get along a bit of all right with us quaint Ameddicans . . . False alarm — Zorina is not traveling nude on her way to Europe, nor taking sunbaths in drawing-rooms of trains and public and private salons of ships and hotels . . . that was just one of those quaint publicity stories the papers ran to take your mind off Hitler and Lepke . . . First thing you know the press will be having you believe that there are four Garbos (all of whom tank they'll stay in Hollywood if war breaks out). Hollywood Missed a Bet WE ALL know there are two World's Fairs — one in New York, the other in San Francisco . . . And with all the big industries represented it seems as if the movie industry passed up a great opportunity to sell itself in a colossal way (and how they love to speak colossally and do colossal things) . . . Here's an Industry boasting of its strength and leadership — up there in the front ranks with Steel, Oil, Autos, Radio, Textiles — and there's no representation of its realities at either Fair beyond some fine films on display — one of which is C. B. DeMille's historical film pieced together from cuts of former triumphs of Hollywood — to make a great story of America . . . Now why couldn't the movie people have exhibited how movies are made ? They should have taken space to set up a movie lot — replete with sets and backgrounds and atmosphere, and all the movie paraphernalia . . . With the cameras grinding on Hollywood players . . . These would not have to be top-ranking stars. The Fair crowds would have taken to the lesser lights just as quickly . . . They could have even made tests of newcomers, even running contests to choose new finds . . . And Hollywood producers combining like the Eastern railroads or General Motors at the New York Fair, could have taken turns in shooting a picture, say a quickie once a month for six months, say — and captured crowds like General Motors at the New York Fair (an exhibit Avhich has drawn millions — and whose lines waiting to see it, make a movie theatre line bent on seeing the biggest hit look like two guys buying a ticket at the depot in Broken Elbow, Texas. Like a Fair Within a Fair 1 BELIEVE the grounds at either Fair wouldn't have been big enough to hold the crowds eager to see a movie set-a picture being shot around genuine players . . . And the producers would have built up colossal good-will . . . making a colossal impression with millions of people from all countries — most of whom have never seen movies made — and the romance attendant in making them . . . Imagine the publicity values, too — with one big company campaigning about its Fair production one month, followed the other months by its rivals — all concentrating to outdo each other in building star names, sets and the like . . . They could even have night shooting to add spice of variety . . . Can you imagine the crowds that would flock, considering the colossal hold Hollywood players have on the public? The producers could have pooled their investment — and gotten most of it back with a small price of admission, plus the showing of their Fair films in movie theatres. Or they wouldn't have to make a story at all — but just go through the business of make-believe. . . . It strikes me that such a venture would have eclipsed anything at either Fair — turned the venture into a Fair within a Fair . . . Such a venture — with its publicity value — would have made last year's idea of selling Hollywood to the public (remember Greater Movies' Greatest Year and Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment?) "small time" and "old hat." That campaign didn't catch on well ... It lacked the realistic touch. The automotive industry, oil, radio, steel, foods, electric science — these demonstrate with realism. Hollywood just went to sleep. Maybe they were too busy with their stables. Maybe they lacked vision and imagination beyond the billboard with the same old super-sales talk spouting the same old adjectives — "the most colossal, the greatest ever."