Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY MOTION PICTURE DAILY.S HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW "Here Is My Heart" (Paramount) Hollywood, Nov. 29. — A lavishly mounted hokum comedy romance with music. Bing Crosby and Kitty Carlisle are teamed again for another typical Crosby offering. In comparison with its predecessors, this succeeds to a point where Crosby followers should enthuse, while others looking for a logical straight narrative plot and suspense may be disappointed. A series of smart situations provoking laughs and admiration for the make-believe characters and the ridiculous mannerisms of a fourflushing royal family boosts the picture to a popular key. The story depicts a millionaire crooner, Crosby, setting a fast pace for any millionaire playboy. He becomes involved in a search for an ancient pistol and reaches Monte Carlo, where, meeting a Russian princess, Kitty Carlisle, who is living with her family, Reginald Owen, Alison Skipworth and Roland Young, he forces his attentions upon her by impersonating a hotel waiter. The situations involved thereafter become hilarious, with laughs and romance interpolated. When the family faces eviction from a hotel suite, Crosby saves the day. As the owner, he leaves Owen, Young and Miss Skipworth to manage the place, while he vanishes with the princess for a honeymoon. Crosby introduces four new songs. Karl Struss' photography embellishes the exquisite backgrounds. Frank Tuttle's direction is commendable, getting the most from the story material. Production Code Seal No. 337. Running time, 80 minutes. "G." "The Marines Are Coming" (Mascot) Hollywood, Nov. 29. — Essaying two marines and their sweethearts in the familiar formula, a lack of story originality keeps this one in the average column. The yarn concerns a lady-killer lieutenant of the Marine Corps, Bill Haines, who had been previously involved with the firebrand, Armida, in an imaginary country near the Canal Zone. Camped at San Diego, Haines crosses swords with a brother officer, Conrad Nagel, over the affections' of Esther Ralston, trying, meanwhile, to be rid of the firecracker, Armida. On the eve of his wedding to Miss Ralston, he gets into a fight over unpaid bills in a cabaret in Tia Juana, is forced to resign from the corps, re-enlists as a private, goes to the tropics with a detachment hunting a notorious bandit known as Torch, is wounded and saves Nagel for Miss Ralston as Armida snares him. The production, while pleasing to the eye, is talky in spots and, although containing humorous interludes with some situations slightly farfetched but slam bang, the action will appeal to chapter play fans. David Howard directed nicely from James Gruen's screen play with good photography by Ernie Miller and William Nobles. The names of Haines, Miss Ralston, Edgar Kennedy and Hale Hamilton should aid the draw which, with Marine exploitation, should be predominately neighborhoods and duals. Previewed without production code seal. Running time, 68 minutes. "G." "Flirtation Walk," Wednesday night's opener at tlie Strand, was previewed by wire from Hollywood, Nov. 3. "Captain Hates the Sea," another Wednesday premiere but at the Rialto, was reviewed by coast wire Oct. 15. "Broadway Bill," yesterday's opener at the Music Hall, was also covered by the Hollyivood previewing service on Oct. 26. 14 Para. Changes Delay Plan to Next Week {Continued from page 1) presented their resignations to the new Paramount Publix board. The new board, still incomplete, is comprised of the following: Frank A. Vanderlip, Dr. Julius Klein, Percy H. Johnston, George D. Davison, Gerald Brooks, Maurice Newton and Adolph Zukor. The old board consisted of the following: Jules E. Brulatour, Emanuel Cohen, John Cecil Graham, Felix E. Kahn, Gilbert W. Kahn, Austin Keough, Maurice Newton, Sir William Wiseman, Adolph Zukor, Eugene Zukor, Walter B. Cokell and George J. Schaefer. The new board at a session immediately, following acceptance of the old board's resignations, approved and adopted the so-called Kuhn, Loeb & Co. plan of reorganization, which now has the support of all essential creditor groups in addition to that of the bondholders' and stockholders' protective committees. Every effort will be made, it was said, to present this plan to the court on Monday. The new board issued only the following terse statement at the close of the meeting : "At a meeting held this afternoon (Wed.) the Paramount Publix Corp. adopted a plan of reorganization which it will present to the court on Monday, Dec. 3." The new board's identification of itself as " the Paramount Publix Corp." was interpreted to imply that no change of corporation name will result from the reorganization. Para. Reel Claims Only 40% of "Beats" Paramount's publicity department heralded on Wednesday the modest triumphs of the company's newsreel during 1934, including a claim to national "beats" on 40 per cent of the most important screen news of the year. On the remaining 60 per cent of the news, the publicity account states, "Paramount gives all reels an even break on the news." The release also claims for the reel 132 exclusive items of lesser importance. Tom Waller was the blushing author. IEPA Against MPTO If Warners Are In Philadelphia, Nov. 29. — The Independent Exhibitors Protective Ass'n. will oppose a local merger with the M. P. T. O. of Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware if Warner Theatres have membership in the consolidated exhibitor organization which would result, according to an article appearing in the current issue of Film Bulletin, the I. E. P. A. organ. The article states that overtures for a merger of the local exhibitor groups have been made by representatives of the M. P. T. O. Film Trio Reach Coast Hollywood, Nov. 29. — Jack Cohn, Bobby Connolly and Ricardo Cortez arrive Saturday from New York. They are all on the same train. Suit Filed to Stop Cleveland Dual Bill (Continued from page 1) Common Pleas Courtt by Max Lefkowich, operator of the University Theatre. He claims it is a violation of the single feature agreement. Before the agreement went into effect it was signed by Martin Printz as operator of the Alhambra. Printz now says he is only the manager and the house is operated by the owners, George Harvey and Sam Cowan. He contends that his signature is no longer binding now that he is not a partnerlessee. Century Circuit Is Winner in Ad Cases Century circuit has won complaints against the Quentin and Glenwood theatres for premature advertising. In the first case, it was pointed out that a new operator took over the house on Nov. 1 and he was warned to discontinue advance advertising on pictures slated to run at the Century house. With Herbert S. Keller of the Weisman, Quinn, Allan & Spett office as attorney, the Glenwood lost the decision, although Keller tried to interpret Part 5, Section C in the code for the benefit of *Ua board. Friday, November 30, 1934 Vincent for Fewer And Better Films \ (Continued from page 1) Vincent said. "The industry is tend * ing toward disintegration because too many films and too many poor films are being made." Vincent, who is treasurer of MPTOA, said that while he had selective contracts with mjajor companies he would buy a good feature of any independent company. B. M. Golder, attorney for Perelman, aroused Vincent's ire when he asked if the MPTOA was not subsidized by the alleged film trust. "I wouldn't allow myself to be subsidized by anyone," Vincent replied heatedly. Edward Jeffries, a Roxborough exhibitor, testified that his patrons had voted against double features and that I school authorities had urged him to follow a single feature policy to permit the showing of educational shorts on the program. Fred Leopold, an j other exhibitor, stated that duals tended to eliminate good shorts. Deposi | tions were taken from the following i witnesses in opposition to duals : I. Hirshblond, W. T. Wrilson, Williams ! port ; Herbert Elliott, George Lesey, j Marcus Benn, Al Fisher, Luke Gring. Samuel Somerson, C. Stites, Abe Sablosky, George F. Weiland, Atlantic j City, and George Kline and Benjamin Fertel, Philadelphia. The plaintiff's cross examination I centered on two general points, 1 whether double features would mean more production and whether each theatre and neighborhood did not have its own problem. Witnesses answered in the affirmative, although the defense stressed that if double featuring became general, exhibitors would be hard put for product. Defense Attorney Morris Wolf said he would call both local exchange men and home office sales executives for Monday's hearing to refute charges of conspiracy. The session was adjourned to Monday. Rosenblatt on Coast On Harmony Mission Los Angeles, Nov. 29. — Compliance Director Sol A. Rosenblatt arrived from Washington yesterday with the assertion his mission was to effect harmony between the actors' and writers' five-five committees and producers and to end the deadlock in negotiations between players and studios. He added he would also assist writers in completing a draft of a code of fair practice that would meet with the satisfaction of producers. Rosenblatt declared the agents' pact was not in accord with the NRA as it affects the film code, adding that nothing can be done until the draft is revised to conform with NRA requirements. Meanwhile Rosenblatt will confer behind closed doors with all committees concerned, beginning Saturday. Flynn Denies He'll Succeed Will Hay& Hollywood, Nov. 29. — Edward J' Flynn, secretary of state of New York yesterday publicly denied recent rumors that he might succeed Wil Hays. He also discounted reports tha he might join the legal staff of RadioJ Assailing both stories as "ridiculous.' I Flynn said he is here chiefly on vaca I tion with his wife.