Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1937)

16 MOTION PICTURJt DAILY Wednesday, January 6, 1937 A. J. Balaban, Chicago Group Enter F. & M. (Continued from pane 1) deal. Meyers is believed to have represented A. J. Balaban. Another meeting will probably be held next week when Arthur returns from New York and Mike Marco comes on from the coast. Arthur is due by plane late Tuesday night and Marco the same day. It is possible that the two may meet in New York before conferring here with the Chicago interests. Balaban recently organized Balaban Theatres Co., at Dover, Del. He is head of the company. Greene, Perlman and Jack Bartman of Chicago also are interested. Balaban is due back from Switzerland next month. Balaban is understood to have had a desire to return to the theatre field for some time. He is a friend of long standing with Arthur Marco and Jack Partington. The three F. & M. associates are said to have made overtures to Balaban to join with them some time ago, but he turned down the proposal. On Nov. 29, F. & M. took over operation of the St. Louis Amusement Co. on a 10-year management contract with the bondholders. In addition, the company operates the Ambassador, St. Louis, Missouri Fox, and Orpheum and Shubert-Rialto. The latter two are closed because of labor difficulties. The Balaban-Rubens buy would include all these houses and possibly the three theatres in which F. & M. is interested with Harry Greenman, two of which are in neighborhoods and the third out of the city. There is a possibility that Paramount may be interested indirectly through Rubens, but this could not be confirmed. Rubens is head of Great States which, in turn, is owned by B. & K., Paramount theatre affiliate. At the present time Loew's is the only major distributor represented in the territory with its own exhibition unit. G. B. to Start Own Exchanges Shortly (Continued from page 1) outlet in every key city in the country before June. Offices will be opened one at a time, it was stated yesterday, since there is no disposition on the part of 20th Century-Fox to inconvenience G. B. Arthur Lee, vice-president of the domestic G. B. company, is due to return from Miami Beach tomorrow to start working on these plans. In the interim, G. B. will hold up releasing five B.I. P. and a similar number of Herbert Wilcox films recently contracted for distribution in this market. Isidore and Maurice Ostrer are understood deferring their return to England until details in connection with G. B. exchanges are completed. I.T.O.A. to Discuss Labor Labor again will be the principal topic at the regular I.T.O.A. meeting today at the Astor. The annual ball, scheduled for Jan. 16 at the Waldorf, also will be discussed. Looking 'Em Over Woman in Distress (Columbia) A lively, fast-moving picture, characterized by a novel theme and engaging romantic complications, this should be found attractive entertainment by almost any audience. Excellent double bill material, it also may stand on its own feet in many situations. Albert De Mond's screen play from Edwin Olmstead's story revolves about the unexpected discovery of an original Rembrandt in the home of an elderly spinster in Maine, the efforts of a newspaper reporter and his feminine rival to scoop each other on the story, the theft of the picture by a gang of thieves, and its eventual recovery, accomplished in an active, suspense-laden fashion. A good cast includes May Robson as the spinster ; Dean Jagger and Irene Hervey as the two reporters, who close the film on a romantic note, and Douglas Dumbrille as the leader of the gang which steals the painting. Annoyed by the manner in which Miss Hervey has been beating him to stories, Jagger determines to beat her to the Rembrandt yarn, but fails, apparently, when she calls his story of the painting's authenticity a falsehood. The painting had been stolen in the meantime. From that point the film moves rapidly, under Lynn Shores' direction, as the gang attempts to kill Miss Robson and Miss Hervey, fearing they may identify the painting if it is found. The two are saved from fire in the proverbial nick of time and all's well. Production Code Seal No. 2,821. Running time, 67 minutes. "G." "Revolutionists" (Am kino) From the Soviet Mosfilm studios comes this documentary treatment of a series of events which preceded the Russian cataclysm. To be more accurate, it reveals, more or less in strict historical fashion, how the roots of the "cause" were set to gather nutriment and so launch the Bolshevist movement. It contains some outstanding performances, but strikes the usual note of Soviet self-praise plus, of course, propaganda. It is lengthy, at times slow-moving. Occasionally there are flashes of tine direction. The narrative concerns the difficulties of a student who is expelled from his university for radical tendencies. He goes from one trying situation to another, finally being seized and exiled. However, without him the cause moves on and when he is released again definite progress has been made in the way of bloodshed and slaughter. And with highly emphasized heroics the piece finally winds up fortelling more radical plotting when the motivating trio of "comrades" meet again in a foreign country. Vera Stroyeva directed. There are subtitles in English and no appeal for this market. Reviewed without production code seal. Running time, 100 minutes. "A." Overseas Previews "Sensation" (A.B.P.) London, Dec. 23. — From the play "Murder Gang," by George Munro, Fleet St. crime reporter, and Basil Deal. It satirizes and exposes the newspaper practice of making murder a front page story and of inventing the facts when they do not present themselves. Chief figure is Pat Heaton (John Lodge), prize member of the "Murder Gang," which descends from newspa'perdom to the scene of the current crime. Heaton, assisting in the discovery of the murderer of a pretty country waitress and exploiting his wife's need of money for the defense to trap her into agreeing to publication of her love letters, is sickened by the whole newspaper racket and, encouraged by his sweetheart, gives back the letters and commits professional suicide. Briskly, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, it is amusing in its characterization of the various types of crime reporter and maintains the mystery interest as well. The reporter is quite plausibly shown following up clues which die neglected under the noses of the police. The newspaper atmosphere is not so happy in the Fleet St. scenes. Diana Churchill, Joan Marion, Athene Seyler, Francis Lister, Ma*garet Vyner and Jerry Verno have good parts. It is very fair entertain ment of support category, but very British. Running time, 75 minutes. "A." Alla?'' Short Subjects "Ifs All Over Now" ( Vitaphone) Dan Healy falls to reminiscing over his past affairs on the night before his wedding. Assisted by Brooks Benedict, his butler, he conjures up the atmosphere surrounding the various girls as he burns their photos. There is a series of dissolves into colorful situations — Scotland, Russia and Bermuda — where there is dancing, romance and gayety. Though it drags somewhat and is heavily sentimental in its comic relief, it still manages to get a few laughs. Production Code Seal No. 01,208. Running time, 20 minutes. "G." "More Kittens" (Disney-U.A.) The three Silly Symphony kittens get chased out of a kitchen door and hide in the St. Bernard dog's fur. Complications follow when they find themselves riding on a turtle. One of them gets pecked on the nose by a blue bird. The three of. them chase the bird along a clothesline and get mixed up with the clothespins. It's grand. Production Code Seal No. 2,341. Running time, Syi minutes. "G." "Jimmie Launceford and His Orchestra" ( V itaphone) This colored orchestra plays in excellent syncopated style with clever rhythmic effects and the result is first rate entertainment. There are solo specialties by band members, dancers and Myra Johnson, a vocalist. Production Code Seal No. 0,138. Running time, 10 minutes. "G." Chicago Houses Ask Injunction Extension Chicago, Jan. 5. — Thirty-three thetheatres were granted permission today to file an intervening petition to join an injunction granted the Iris last week restraining interference from the police with Bank Night. Judge Niemeyer of the Superior Court set a hearing on the petition for tomorrow afternoon after denying Assistant Corporation Counsel William Daly's plea that the petition be denied at once. Daly charged Bank Night with being contrary to the city ordinance which prohibits theatres from distributing prizes and asserted that the game was a public nuisance and a hazard because of the overcrowding of theatres. Theatres granted permission today were those previously arrested. Other petitions will be sought when more theatremen are arrested. It is believed by theatre operators that they can conduct the games on the original Bank Night plan, which they claim is legal, and thus avoid police interference. B. N. Restraint Refused Chicago, Jan. 5. — In Circuit Court here today Judge Burke denied Mrs. Elizabeth Mannasmith's petition to restrain 87 theatres from distributing Bank Night pools, totaling about $300,000. Judge Burke ruled that the petition was without merit. Theatres are continuing to play Bank Night and taking summonses for each violation.