Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY MOTION PICTURE DAILY* HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW "Coming Out Party" (Fox) Hollywood, Jan. 21. — Clarifying some new slants on the debutante iackets of the higher brackets, with their false fronts and grafting dowager secretaries, "Coming Out Party" reveals the inside on the artificiality of the society setup, with its flubdub of introducing a debbie to friends she has known all her life. As a satiric barb leveled at the classes who arrogate divine aristocracy to themselves by virtue of uncontrolled birth, this has appeal to the masses who should go for this angle particularly at this time. The story is of a debbie, Frances Dee, tired of society's thrall, in love with a violin player, Gene Raymond. Her parents want her to marry a blue blood, Clifford Jones. A Scotch butler, Nigel Bruce, and a Jewish jazz maestro, Harry Green, help the debbie out of her amorous difficulties, as guides, philosophers and friends. Miss Dee gives emotional impact to her portrait, framing it with beauty and appeal. It's her picture. Green makes his character colorful and comic. Bruce gives a heart warming performance. Gene Raymond is the romantic lead. Alison Skipworth is the dowager promoter. The film has quality technique, with John Blystone's direction on the same plane. Aimed at women, this picture should please as program evaluation. Jesse L. Lasky produced. Looking 'Em Over "16 Fathoms Deep" (Monogram) There is a moderate amount of entertainment in "16 Fathoms Deep." The biggest asset of the production is its photography. It is generously sprinkled with sweeping outdoor shots and underwater scenes, some of them well done. One of the most thrilling sequences in the film is one in which Creighton Chaney dives to the bottom of the sea to save a sponge diver from dying when his air line becomes fouled. The story is simple and easy to follow. George Rogers, the big man of a sponge-fishing center, has his eye on Sally O'Neil, who will have none of him, her heart being set on Chaney. To get Chaney out of the way, Regas lets him have one of his most unseaworthy boats and sets one of his confederates (Maurice Black) on board to see that the lad does not get back with his cargo of sponges in time for the yearly auction. The rest of the film is devoted primarily to the efforts made by Black to circumvent Chaney. When Chaney discovers Black is the fly in the ointment, he hands him a terrific beating. This is the fellow Chaney dives overboard to save. Which makes Black his friend. Through him Chaney learns of Regas' villainy. The boy comes in with his sponges just before the auction is to close, sells his cargo and again love is triumphant. Lloyd Ingraham and Russell Simpson are also in the cast. Armand Schaefer directed. "Gallant Lady," Saturday's opener at the Rivoli, was reviewed from Hollyzvood by wire on Dec. 6. "Let's Fall in Love," Friday night's preview at the Rialto, was covered by wire from Hollyzvood on Jan. 9. 4 Unit System Gaining with 71 Producers (Continued from page 1) iiies of mass production, the last of the studios, reluctant in adopting the unit system, now have joined the parade. While M-G-M was the first to introduce the unit system of .production, it remains the largest employer of unit producers today with a total of 16. Universal follows with 13, Paramount 11, Radio 10, Fox nine and Warner-First National six while Columbia and Monogram report three each. Producer personnel of these studios lists M-G-M with Irving Thalberg, Harry Rapf, Walter Wanger, David O. Selznick, E. J. Mannix, Hunt Stromberg, Albert Lewin, Lucien Hubbard, Lawrence Weingarten, Bernard Hyman, Frank DaviSj Lou Edelman, John Considine, Sidney Franklin, Monta Bell and Robert Z. Leonard. Universal lists Stanley Bergerman, Ken Maynard, B. F. Zeidman, Henry MacRae, Walter Lantz, Warren Doane, Henry Henigson, Dale Van Every, E. M. Asher, Edmund Grainger, Wm. A. McGuire, Julius Bernheim and Tom Reed. Paramount shows B. P. Schulberg, Charles R. Rogers, Benjamin Glazer, Arthur Hornblow, Jr., Harold Hurley, William LeBaron, Albert Lewis, Louis D. Leighton, Douglas MacLean, E. Lloyd Sheldon and Bayard Veiller. _ Radio lists Pandro Berman, Louis Brock, Myles Connolly, Kenneth McGowan, Cliff Reid, Howard J. Green, H. N. Swanson, David Lewis, Wm. Sistrom and Shirley Burden. Fox lists Sol M. Wurtzel, Jesse L. Lasky, Al Rockett, Erick Charell, B. G. DeSylva, Robert T. Kane, George White and John Stone. Warner-First National has Hal Wallis, Sam Bischoff, Henry Blanke, Robert Lord, Robert Presnell and James Seymour. Columbia has Robert North, Irving Briskin and Sid Rogell while Monogram has W. T. Lackaye, Paul Malvern and Ben Verchleiser. New Sound Invention Will Be Heard Here New Yorkers will get their first opportunity to hear speech and music in "auditory perspective" at a private demonstration to be given by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers Wednesday night during the winter convention of the institute at its headquarters, 33 West 39th St. Demonstrations were given a number of months ago in Philadelphia and Washington. Dr. Harvey Fletcher will discuss technical phases of the development. Gunderman in Buffalo Buffalo, Jan. 21. — Don Gunderman, former organist at the Lafayette, who has been doing radio work in New York, has returned to the Lafayette as organ soloist, after a year's absence. The Lafayette, after a disastrous four-week try with vaudeville, has returned to double features and has dropped stage shows. Lovelace Here Feb. 1 Hunter Lovelace will take charge of the New York story department for Fox on Feb. 1, with John Mock, former aide to Julian Johnson, as head of the reading department. William Crawford will be eastern representative for the studio. M-G-M Signs Swanson Hollywood, Jan. 21. — Gloria Swansin has signed a one-picture contract with M-G-M, with options for two more. Scouting for a story has been started. Laskys Go to Havana Hollywood, Jan. 21. — Jesse L. Lasky and his son are on their way to Havana to spend a few days in Cuba before proceeding to Palm Beach. They will start back here by train in time to begin "Springtime for Henry" on Feb. 5. Cooper Gets Two Houses Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 21. — J. E. Cooper of the Lincoln Theatre Corp., has acquired the leases on the Orpheum and Liberty from the Independent Theatres Co., of which G. L. Hooper of Topeka, is president. Monday, January 22, 1924 I — — ^ — — Authority Gets 53 More Board Names Weeded out of the last list of recommendations for the 32 clearance and zoning boards which arrived at the Code Authority on Saturday, the last day for submitting names, were 53 from 17 territories. Many duplications were noted in the original list, but the latest batch increases the total; to 835. A number of units had not been heard from up to Saturday, but due t* the fact that suggestions must be postmarked not later than midnight, Jan 20, a barrage of lists is expected at the authority this morning. Units not previously heard from include Alliet of New Jersey, the T.O.C.C., ant others, which in all probability wil have suggestions in today's mail There is no time limit when tin recommendations arrive, as long a: they are postmarked before Jan. 21. Although no action is expected a j tomorrow's meeting of the authority] all lists on hand will be turned ovet to the committee in charge of makinj the selections. Six are on this com mittee. Saturday's recommendations follow Atlanta— Love B. Harrell. Charlotte— J. J. Grady, H. H. Everett Albert Sottille, J. F. Kirby, R. J. Ingram M. S. Hill. Chicago — Jack Miller, John Dittman. Cincinnati — Floyd D. Morrow. Dallas— R. J. O'Donnell, Edward Rowley P. K. Johnson. Des Moines — Leone Matthews. Detroit — Joe Dennison, Harvey Camp bell, Henry Zapp. Portland, Me. — Howard Duffy, Willian Freiday, J. T. Howard. Memphis— Paul Zerilla, T. A. Ballas John Eaton, H. L. Cohen, J. F. Willing ham, T. W. Young, W. B. Fulton, W. S Tyson. Minneapolis — Ben Blotcky, Frank Manskf James Donahue, Leo Blank, Everett Dille; William Glasor, Frank Watske, L. Ruben stein, Henry Green, Jack Lorentz. New Haven, Conn. — Arthur H. Lock wood. New York — Thomas J. Valentino, Le j Abrams, Sam Rinzler, Jack Steinman. Omaha, Nebr.— W. W. Troxell. Pittsburgh — Geo. H. Sallows, Carl B Mapel. St. Louis — W. E. Horsefield. San Francisco — Miss Claire Foley, R. fi. McNeil. Washington — Louis Schneider, J. Loui Rome, Robert Kanter, Phillip Miller. Issues New Press Sheet Charles F. Hynes has just turne out a new tabloid form press boo for Gaumont British which contair insert material on four of the con: pany's features. The cover is d« voted to an announcement of tl company's entrance into domestic di; tribution, a statement on budget ir creases and direct order methods. Eac picture has a single-fold, four-pagj sheet. Nine of the company's stai are shown, also pictures of the sti dios. Del Ruth Moves Out Hollywood, Jan. 21. — After sen ig 10 consecutive years as directc lor Warner-First National, Roy Di Ruth has removed his personal belons ings from that plant to new headquai ters at 20th Century. Nazi Film Is Banned Portland, Jan. 21. — "S. A. Ma Brand," first Nazi film to be showe here, has been put under the ban c the local censor board.