Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Hollywood Previews "The Terror of Tiny Town" (Principal) Hollywood, July 26. — Columnists have been telling the public about this picture for quite a spell now, without really telling much about it. They have made widely known that the cast is made up entirely of midgets, and that it's a western, but they haven't revealed that the midgets play the picture as earnestly, professionally and melodramatically as any aggregation of full-statured performers ever played one. By managing it so, Producer Jed Buell has turned out a film that is a distinct novelty and, more than that, a new kind of motion picture, incidentally a promiseful first in what Sol Lesser plans as a series. The original screenplay by Fred Myton is a thoroughly typical western story about rival ranchers and the bad man whose cattle rustling and stage robbing is credited by each cowman to the other. It has in it as headlong a stage holdup, as fierce a hand-to-hand battle between hero and villain, as realistic a dynamite explosion as any western melodrama of contemporary release. And it has four song numbers by Lew Porter, with Phil Stern collaborating on one of them, that are as singable as any. In his direction of the midgets Sam Newfield made no concessions to size. They ride, shoot, fight, etc., like the characters in a red hot western should. He allows only one descent to gag technique, achieved by dubbing robust voices into a quartet-number, a passing and diverting relief from strict realism. Naturally, the size of the players, who work against full dimension backgrounds, gives the film consistently humorous appeal. The midgets' utter seriousness of performance is more amusing than any kidding attitude could have been. Running time, 60 minutes. "G." William R. Weaver "Booloo" (Paramount) Hollywood, July 26. — Clyde E. Elliott went into the Malayan jungles and photographed much footage of nature in the raw. His shots of animal fights between tigers and leopards, tigers and water buffalo, serpent trappings and the comic antics of monkeys, birds and bear cubs are of the stuff which made earlier wild life films interesting entertainment. Brought to Hollywood, the footage was chopped up and sandwiched into a hard-to-believe melodramatic romantic yarn. So much hokum has been included that the value of the jungle material, though still potent, is blunted. As far as entertainment is concerned, "Booloo" again proves that animals are good actors. In the story a white tiger is worshipped as a god. They regularly sacrifice the most beautiful girl in the tribe. All this is presented to the tune of much thrill, excitement and spectacle as far as the beasts and savages are concerned. The remote control romance which is carried on via short wave radio is about as unreal. Elliott collected all the jungle material and did it well. Hollywood imagination demonstrated conclusively how difficult it is to improve on nature. Running time, 60 minutes. "G." Gus McCarthy Wednesday, July 27, 1938 11 L (Year's Ticket Tax Gains $1,060,587 (Continued from page 1) in May but more than $250,000 under the $1,874,775.29 reported for June, ■ 1937. Improved conditions, as compared w ith May, were general throughout most of the United States, the bureau's figures indicated. Collections in the Third New York (Broadway) District jr-^ed from $415,798.28 to $424,171.49K*"'/ were well under the $552,841.44 recorded in June of last year. [| Greatest improvement in the New York district was shown in box-office collections of the tax, which increased from $350,402.52 in May to $374,572.66 in June ; collections on free or reduced rate admissions also increased, from $4,278 to $4,485.66, as did receipts from the permanent use or lease of boxes and seats, from $55.44 to $715.40. Other sources showed declines, receipts from tickets sold by brokers dropping from $14,440.23 to $7,903.34; tickets sold at more than established price dropping ■ from $3,642.53 to $672.66, and admist sions to roof gardens and cabarets dropping from $42,979.56 to $35,821.77. Decision Reserved In Grossman Action '■ Supreme Court Justice Peter | Schmuck yesterday reserved decision on the application of Edward M. Grossman to be allowed to intervene as a plaintiff in the eight consolidated stockholders suits now pending against Loew's Inc., its officers and directors and the Bank of America National Trust & Savings Association. Mr. Grossman contended that since he had been stayed by an order of Justice Schmuck from prosecuting j his individual stockholder suit seeking to cancel contracts between Loew's, Inc., and some of its officers, pending final decision in the eight consolidated suits, he should be allowed to intervene as a party plaintiff. Send Out "Algiers" Crew United Artists has sent out 21 exploitation men to handle individual campaigns on "Algiers." They are : W. P. Bernfield, Kansas City; Ed Bellew, Asbury Park; Art Catlin, i Louisville ; Ben Cohn, Indianapolis ; Bernard Evens, St. Louis ; Steve Ed I wards, Dayton ; Jay Frank, Rochester ; Ed Gallner, Baltimore ; Budd Getschal, Nashville and Memphis ; M. J. Kavanagh, Providence ; William Lansburg, Richmond and Norfolk ; lames Lundy, Phoenix and Tucson : John McGrail, Wilmington ; J. H. MacFarland, Reading; E. M. Milbum, Toledo; Jack Proctor, San Francisco ; Louis Ramm, Atlanta ; I Antoinette Spitzer, Harrisburg; Martin Seed, Syracuse, and Bob Wood, New Orleans. Warners Appoint Pepper London, July 26. — Warners today appointed Will Pepper as general manager of the new Warner Theatre, which "will open here later this year. Holmes Signs With Guild Chicago, July 25. — The Burton Holmes Film Co., produce of commercial films, has signed with the Screen Actors' Guild. Invents Ticket Machine Anderson, S. C, July 26. — Percy C. Osteen, owner of the Carolina, has invented a machine which automatically takes, records and destroys the ticket of the patron. As the patron drops his ticket into a small box, the mechanism releases revolving arms and allows him to enter the theatre. After the admittance the arms become locked and remain so until another ticket is deposited in the slot. When the ticket goes into the box, it is taken between small rollers, automatically recorded and destroyed. Iturbi in "Bandinage" Hollywood, July 26. — Jose Iturbi, composer and conductor, will lead the orchestra and play the piano in Victor Herbert's "The Bandinage," in which Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy will be co-starred. Mail Conn. Golf Notices New Haven, July 26. — Notices of the third annual Connecticut M.P.T.O. golf tournament have gone out to all exhibitors, exchange and allied industry staff members in the territory, Irving C. Jacocks, Jr., chairman of the committee, reports. Invitations to attend the event, scheduled for Aug. 2 at the Racebrook Country Club, are expected to draw a larger number than ever before. New Light Plan at M. H. An innovation in stage lighting which makes it possible to change costume colors into numerous different shades — all within view of the audience— is now being used for the first time in public in "Gotham Gleanings," the Rockette number at the Music Hall. The system may revolutionize stage color lighting, according to W. G. Van Schmus. 7 Variety Club Kansas City Kansas City, July 26. — Variety Club is closing the clubrooms at 7 P. M. during the hot weather. The Variety Film Row picnic will be held some time next month.. Earl Jameson is handling collections while Treasurer Sam Abend is in Europe with his daughter. Minneapolis Minneapolis, July 26. — With 132 members and guests the Twin City Variety Club golf tournament turned out to be the biggest yet. It was held at the Oak Ridge Country Club. En Johnson of Redwood Falls, Minn., was the winner of the Fred Cubberly trophy. Ernott Hiller won the championship flight, Clarence Stevens of Bemidji was runnerup and Miller was medalist with a low gross of 77. Flight winners were : First flight, Paul Lundquist ; 2nd, Don Rullifson ; 3rd, Andy Anderson ; 4th, Earl Sly ; 5th, T. Galanter ; 6th, Joe Powers ; 7th, M. Lund ; 8th, Ray Wiley; 9th, M. Hall; 10th, R. P. Abelson; 11th Don O'Neil; 12th, A. T. Crawmer. Midnight Shows Now Invade Small Towns Kansas City, July 26. — Out in the smaller towns, where Saturday night is the traditional time of the week for staying up late, exhibitors are finding that "midnight shows," long a feature of metropolitan first run houses, are successful in adding extra revenue. An instance in point is the Lyric at Plattsburg, Mo., where Tom Wilhoit is running one of the late shows, a preview of the Sunday program. The idea has been successful, and Wilhoit will continue the policy. At Savannah, Mo., another town under 2,500, M. B. Presley recently started midnight shows with good results. To Film Commons in Propaganda Series London, July 26. — The use of the theatre screen as a medium of popularizing the principles of democracy is planned in England, it is indicated by the revelation of plans to make films inside the House of Commons. The photographing of the historic hall marked the writing of a new chapter in the history of British motion pictures, when motion picture cameras invaded the sacred precincts of the House of Commons. Permission was granted Bruce Woolfe of G.B. Instructional Film to photograph, with three cameras, the traditional ceremonial of the Speaker's procession to the House. Heads Union in Seattle Seattle!, July 26, — Phil Heberal has been reelected president of the Film Exchange Employes' Union for the ensuing year. Other officers are Pat Madigan, vice-president ; Carol Brown, secretary-treasurer ; Morton Endert, sergeant at arms ; Robert Stansbury, business agent, and Stanley Jackson and Carl Oberry, members at large of the board of trustees.