Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1939)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, May 16, 19 4 Purely Personal ► ADOLPH ZUKOR, Barney Balaban, Major Albert Warner, J. Robert Rubin and Ned E. Depinet lunching at Nick's Hunting room at the Astor yesterday. Among others were Arthur Rapf, William Brandt, Joe Katsch, Sam Rinzler, Ed Auger, Joe Hornstein, Leo Justin, Morris Kinzler, Harold Franklin, Harry Goetz, Max A. Cohen, Harry G. Kosch, Adolph Haas, Ansell C. Knowles. • James Mulvey and Arthur Kelly of United Artists arrived in New York yesterday by train after attending the company's annual sales convention in Hollywood last week. Other company executives are expected back during the next few days. • George Schaefer, Joe Moskowitz, Oscar Doob, Edward A. Golden, W. Ray Johnston, Gus Eyssell, Joe Pincus, at Bob Goldstein's Tavern for lunch yesterday. • Theodore G. Ehrsan, manager of the Huntington, Century house at Huntington, L. I., was the first prize winner in the General Electric "Letters Home from the World's Fair" contest. e H. W. Dudley will read a paper before the Acoustical Society of America following demonstration of a new speech instrument by Bell Telephone Laboratories at the Pennsylvania today. • John Aalberg, RKO studio sound director, will represent the Research Council of the Academy on the "Sectional Committee on Motion Pictures" of the American Standards Association. • Perc WestmorEj Warners makeup chief at the studio, was host, with the House of Westmore, at a cocktail party in the Rainbow Room yesterdav afternoon. • Ben Goetz, head of M-G-M British production, will leave Hollywood today for New York and London. Victor Saville, producer, will remain on the coast for several weeks. • Bob Snyder, special sales representative for J. H. Hoffberg Co., left yesterday on a two-month sale's trip upstate and to Chicago. • Maxwell Shane, screen writer, arrives in New York from the coast this week to arrange for the production of "Willis Does a Strip." • S. Barret McCormick. RKO advertising and publicity director, returns to New York today from a business trip to Chicago. • Louis Havward and Ida Lupino arrived in New York on the 20th Century Limited from the coast yesterday. • Edwin P. Kilroe of 20th CenturyFox left New York yesterday on a one-week business trip. Paul Benjamin returned to his New York Preview "The Mikado" (Universal) The producers of this first screen version of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" have fashioned a splendid entertainment offering, not only for devotees of Gilbert and Sullivan but for film audiences. Adapted wnth fine discernment, skillfully directed, with an outstanding chorus and orchestra assisting a splendid cast, and produced in color, all of the fine melody and comedy which have endeared the work to millions are present in its translation to the screen. The exhibitor, however, is confronted with the problem of selling the screen "Mikado" to those patrons to whom the names of Gilbert and Sullivan and the title mean little or nothing. There are readymade audiences everywhere for a Gilbert and Sullivan offering, and they are large numerically. The task will be to sell those who are unfamiliar with the work and, as Universal suggests, frequent reference to its songs, which are known to many who do not know the story of "The Mikado," may be the best approach. Kenny Baker, in the role of Nanki-Poo, son of the Mikado, is best known to American audiences. The comic adventures which permit him to escape the detested Katisha, to whom he has been promised by the Mikado, and to marry YumYum, whom he loves, are depicted with all the eye and ear-pleasing properties in the very best Gilbert and Sullivan tradition. Once lured inside the theatre, none who see and hear it should be disappointed. They will probably go out to sing its praises to others. It should find support among many individuals and groups not habitual film patrons and, in pleasing these as it is bound to do, it may be classified with those select, occasional films which, departing from well-trodden cinematic paths, tap new sources of patronage. Individual performances are uniformly good. Particularly deserving of mention is Martyn Green as Ko-Ko ; Jean Colin as Yum-Yum ; John Barclay as the Mikado: Sydney Granville as the Pooh-Bah; Constance Willis as Katisha, and Baker. Victor Schertzinger's direction is everything it should be. Geoffrey Toye adapted, conducted and produced. The London Symphony Orchestra and the chorus of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company contribute to the production's music. Sets and costumes are lavish and colorful, achieving rich pictorial effects. Camera and sound work are excellent and, by way of reporting, it ma}' be said that there is no noticeable accent on the part of the English players to confuse the American ear. Running time, 90 minutes. "G."* Sherwin A. Kane *"G" denotes general classification. desk yesterday after a three-week absence due to illness. • Leopold Friedman, Loew's general attorney, returned to his desk yesterday from an extended vacation in Honolulu and on the coast. • Irwin Zeltner and Louis D. Straus have merged their publicity offices under the name of Zeltner and Straus. Herb Morgan, M-G-M shorts publicity head, returns today from Detroit. Jim Fay, brother of Ed Fay of Providence, is slowly recuperating after a long illness. Para. Golf Tourney Set Paramount will hold its 12th annual company golf tournament May 18 at Adolph Zukor's golf course in New City, N. Y. About 50 company officials will participate in the tournament. Warner Outing June 21 Members of the Warner Club will hold their annual outing June 21 at Bear Mountain. Outing will include a boatride, dancing, games and contests. RKO Fair Visitors Alfred E. Grosz, Cortez Theatre, New Orleans, registered yesterday at RKO's World Fair headquarters. Others were Sidney Samuelson, Newton, N. J.; J. D. Lee, Capitol Theatre, Frankfort, Ky. ; Harry Arthur, Fanchon & Marco head in St. Louis ; J. McGowan, Plymouth Theatre, Worcester, Mass. Sail on Normandie Maurice Wilson, joint managing director of Grand National in England, and Mrs. Wilson sail on the Normandie tonight. Others scheduled to sail are John Ojerholm of Paramount, Henri Bernstein, French playwright, and Jan Kiepura and Marta Eggerth. Technicolor Reelects Four Technicolor board members were reelected yesterday at the annual stockholders' meeting. They are John McHugh, George F. Lewis, Murray D. Welch and Robert Cushman. Lewis presided at the meeting. Delay B-K Hearing Chicago, May 15. — The independent exhibitors' anti-trust suit against the Balaban and Katz circuit has been delayed until Wednesdav. Program Finished For Allied MeetinJ Schedule of New York Allied World's Fair convention and equi ment exposition, May 23 to 25 at tl| Astor, follows : Tuesday, May 23 — Registratioi Eastern regional conference ; op* meeting, appointment of resolutio committee, election of delegates to*j» tional convention, general busiif*'! evening, attendance at Broadway fir run theatres. Wednesday, May 24 — Open meetin addresses by Col. H. A. Cole, Alii' States president, and Abram F. Myei general counsel ; report by grievan committee ; resolutions committee r port ; discussion on insurance eco omy; matinee theatre party for t'; ladies at "The American Way"; vis to World's Fair at night. Thursday, May 25 — Open forum 2 P. M., open to all, with self reg lation as the general topic ; cockt; party, followed by first annual dinn and dancing; matinee for the ladies ,: "Kiss the Boys Goodbye." Managers Strike At Bronx House; First strike here by the Theatric ; Managers, Agents and Treasure | Union in its campaign to organize fil ) theatre managers was called yeste day at the Vogue, operated by Mc Rosenberg in the Bronx. Picketing started last night and scheduled to be extended today to |M Metro and Congress, two other R senberg houses in the Bronx. The union said the strike was calk after two of its members, Abraha | Ludacer and Maurice Bliss, man gers of the Vogue and Metro, respe tively, were discharged Sunday f<; union activity. The T. M. A. T. plai to file a formal complaint with tlj State Labor Relations Board for r j instatement and back wages. Moulan Rites Today Funeral services are to be held . noon today for Frank Moulan, ope etta star who died Saturday. Moulan screen career included work in "Tl Girl Said No" in 1937. MOTION PICTURE DAILY {Registered U. S. Patent Office) MARTIN QUIGLEY, Editor-in-Chief a> Publisher; SAM SHAIN, Editor; JAM! A. CRON, Advertising Manager. Published daily except Saturday, Sund; and holidays by Quigley Publishing Coi pany. Inc., Martin Quigley, presider Colvin Brown, vice-president and treasurt Publication office: 1270 Sixth Avenue i| Rockefeller Center. New York. TelephorJ Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubcj New York." All contents copyrighted 19 by Quigley Publishing Company, 1m Address all correspondence to the New YoJ office. Other Quigley publications: MoTidj Picture Herald, Better Theatres. Teat al Dia, International Motion Pictu Almanac and Fame. BUREAUS: — Hollywood: Postal Uni Life Building, Vine and Yucca Sts. : Boo Mancall, manager; William R. Weave! editor. Chicago: 624 S. Michigan Ave., C. I O'Neill, manager. London: 4 Golden Sauai W. 1: cable address, Quigpubco, Londo I Hope Williams, manager. Entered as second class matter Sept. 2 1 1938, at the post office at New York. N. * under '.he act of March 3. 1879. Subscription rates per year $6 in 1 1 Americas and $12 foreign. 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