Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1939)

Friday, November 3, 1939 Motion Picture Daily 11 New York Review "The Flying Deuces" {Morros-RKO) Compounded largely of the elements of comedy which in the past have made Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy extremely popular in the short subject field, "The Flying Deuces" should prove entertaining fare especially for devotees of the Laurel-Hardy technique. A. Edward Sutherland, director, wisely devoted practically all the footage to the pair of American fish peddlers vacationing in Paris, who enter the Foreign Legion so that Oliver may forget a girl with whom he falls in love. Jean Parker and Reginald Gardiner support the stars in this Boris Morros production, for which the original story and screenplay emerged from the combined efforts of Ralph Spence, Alfred Schiller, Charles Rogers and Harry Langdon. Highlighting the amusing sequences, aside from the regular run of Laurel-Hardy comedy antics, many of the slapstick variety, are the attempt at suicide by Hardy, who persuades Laurel to join him; the pursuit through a narrow tunnel as the pair attempt to escape sentence of death for desertion from the Legion, and the wild and woozy flight of the two in a plane which inadvertently sets off with them aboard. Running time, 69 minutes. "G."* Charles S. Aaronson. Trade Backs Federation's Charity Drive {Continued from page 1) president of Columbia, and License Commissioner Paul Moss will serve as y;"e-chairmen. CP^'ge Z. Medalie, chairman of the appeal, pointed out the importance of the amusements division in the Federation picture. "Under the five-year leadership of Bernstein and Major Warner, the film business has increased its annual contribution five-fold to the Federation, which supports 116 institutions," Medalie said. "The film and theatrical group is well on its way to becoming the outstanding division among the 140 trade and professional groups doing the volunteer fund-raising." Figures quoted by Medalie showed that the division had increased its gifts to the Federations from $30,U0O in 1934 to $175,000 in 1938. No quota as yet has been set for this year. Committee chairmen named at yesterday's meeting follow : Columbia Pictures, Abe Schneider and Max Seligman ; Loew's-M-G-M, Oscar Doob; National Screen Service, Herman Robbins ; Paramount, Arthur Israels ; Universal, Joseph Seidelman ; Warner Bros., Max Blackman and Joseph Hazen ; independents, Budd Rogers ; publications, Jack Alicoate and Sam Shain. Artists, Eddie Duchin, Marvin Schenck and Jesse Block; artists representatives, William Morris, Herbert Rosenthal and Sidney Piermonte; theatrical attorneys, William Klein, Louis Nizer and Julian T. Abeles ; broadcasting, Bertram Le Bharr ; independent theatre owners, William Brandt, Leo Brecher, Louis Frisch, Joseph Springer, Walter Reade, Jr., Samuel Rinzler, Max Rudnick, Edward N. Rugoff, Samuel Straussberg and Sam Goodman ; laboratories, Jack Goetz, Alan E. Freedman, Ralph I. Poucher and Frank Meyers. Legitimate theatres, Marcus Heiman and William Klein ; music publishers and composers, Louis Bernstein and Jack Robbins ; accessories, B. S. Moss, Frank Myer, Emil Friedlander, Fred Lakeman, Jerome Loeb, Eugene Picker and Charles Sonin. 'Passage' $16,000 Sets Detroit Pace Detroit, Nov. 2. — The World premiere of "Disputed Passage" drew $16,000 at the Michigan. Estimated takings for the week ending Oct. 26 : "The Under-Pup" (Univ.) "Fifth Avenue Girl" (RKO) ADAMS— (1,700) (15c-40c) 7 days. Gross: $5,000. (Average, $5,000) "Beau Geste" (Para.) "When Tomorrow Comes" (Univ.) FISHER— (2,800) (15c -40c) 7 days. Gross: $4,500. (Average, $4,500) ■ "Hollywood Cavalcade" (20th-Fox) "The Witness Vanishes" (Univ.) FOX— (5,000) (25c-55c) 7 days. Gross: $12,000. (Average, $12,000) "Disputed Passage" (Para.) "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase" (Univ.) MICHIGAN-(4,000) (15c-60c) (Premiere $1.10-$2.20 one night) 7 days. Gross: $16,000. : (Average, $10,000) "Thunder Afloat" (M-G-M) "The Old Maid" (W. B.) PALMS— (3,000) (15c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $7,000. (Average, $5,000) "Babes in Arms" (M-G-M) UNITED ARTISTS— (2,100) (15c-55c) 7 days. Gross: $12,000. (Average, $10,000) G" denotes general classification. English Industry Seeks Aid of U.S. London, Nov. 2. — With Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy constantly conferring at Whitehall on the question of remittances by film companies to the United States, it is increasingly believed here that_ legislative changes are bound up with the question of American financial assistance, direct or indirect, to the British film industry. It is understood the Board of Trade is '(considering the formation of a film financing corporation,_ qualified to make loans for production enterprises. The plan would necessitate an amendment to the blind booking sections of the Films Act, to permit exhibitors to guarantee playdates. 'Babes' Hits $14,500 Kansas City Gross Kansas City, Nov. 2.— "Babes in Arms" scored at the Midland with $14,500. Other bills fared poorly in the hot weather. Estimated takings for the week ending Oct. 24-26: "Hollywood Cavalcade" (20th-Fox) ESQUIRE— (800) (25c -40c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $2,500. (Average, $3,000) "Babes in Arms" (M-G-M) "Scandal Sheet" (Col.) MIDLAND — (4,000) (25c-40c) 7 days. Gross: $14,500. (Average, $10,500) "Jamaica Inn" (Para.) NEWMAN — (1,900) (25c -40c) 7 days. Gross: $4,100. (Average, $7,000) "The Angels Wash Their Faces" (W. B.) "No Place To Go" (W. B.) ORPHEUM — (1,500) (25c-40c) 6 days. Gross: $3,300. (Average, 6 days, $4,300) "The Under-Puo" (Univ.) TOWER— (2.200) (25c) 7 days. Stage: Carter & Holmes; Allen, Stone & Allen; The Karolis. Gross: $4,200. (Average, $5,000) "Hollywood Cava'cade" (20th-Fox) UPTOWN— (2,000) (25c-40c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $3,100. (Average, $3,500) Roosevelt Backs Benefit President Roosevelt has given his support to the United Palestine Appeal, sponsor of the forthcoming "Night of Stars" at Madison Square Garden, in a message to Nathan Straus, chairman of the benefit. Church Advertizes Cooperative ads aren't news except when you get one from a church. That's what happened in Washington the other day when Ray Bell, Loew publicity director there, arranged for Eddie Cantor to speak at a church attended by the late Calvin Coolidge. The church bought space in the papers to advertise the meeting. Cantor's subject was "Christianity and Democracy." Technicians Local Loses Court Ruling Hollywood, Nov. 2. — Howard Robertson and eight other former members of the Studio Technicians Local 37, I.A.T.S.E., today lost another fight against the International officers when their application for an injunction to restrain dissolution of the local and seeking accounting of $22,000 in funds was dismissed without prejudice by Superior Judge E. H. Wilson. He ruled the matter is for the state courts to determine. 'Smith' and 'Babes' Lead in Cleveland Cleveland, Nov. 2.— "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" at Warners' Hippodrome and "Babes in Arms" at Loew's State were tops here, each grossing $15,000. Estimated takings for the week ending Oct. 26 : "Hollywood Cavalcade" (20th-Fox) ALLEN— (3,000) (30c-35c-42c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $3,000. (Average, $4,000) "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (Col.) WARNER'S HIPPODROME— (3,800) (30c35c-42c) 7 days. Gross: $15,000. (Average, $11,000) "Here I Am a Stranger" (20th-Fox) RKO PALACE— (3,100) (30c-42c-55c) 7 days. Stage show. Gross: $12,000. (Average, $14,000) "Babes In Arms" (M-G-M) LOEW'S STATE— (3,500) (30c-35c-42c) 7 days. Gross: $15,000. (Average, $11,000) "What A Life" (Para.) LOEW'S STILLMAN— (1,900) (30c-35c42c) 7 days. Gross: $2,500. (Average, $4,000) Beware Latin 'Boomerang', Says Golden (.Continued from page 1) South American production. The best we can hope from the_ war situation, he said, is that we will obtain 10 per cent of the time now given to European pictures. Golden admitted that mistakes have been made by American companies, but said that the major companies should not be criticized for errors of independent distributors. In this connection he praised the work of the Hays' office foreign department under Major Frederick L. Herron. The South American speakers declared that American producers and distributors fail to grasp the needs of the Latin American market, but felt that close understanding and willingness to cooperate with the South American interests can remedy the situation. Jose Bensaude, commercial advisor to Portugal's World's Fair Commission and special delegate of the Lisbon Chamber of Commerce, spoke on the film needs of the Portuguese speaking countries. The meeting was sponsored in conjunction with Teatro al Dia, a Quigley publication. Among those attending were a number of South American film and theatre men now in this country, as well as executives of film companies' foreign departments. Palace Will Play 'Allegheny' Single The Palace will get the first run of "Allegheny Uprising" on Nov. 10 and will play it on a single feature and shorts policy for the run of the film. No general change in policy is contemplated for the house, however. Grosses along Broadway were generally strong, although several films failed to draw very well. "Babes in Arms" continued to ;set a good pace at the Capitol, where it took an estimated $35,000 for its second week and is held for a third. The Roxy gross was slightly off, with an estimated $28,000 for "20,000 Men a Year." "Drums Along the Mohawk" starts today. Also somewhat under par was "On Dress Parade" at the Strand with an estimated $31,000. It will hold for a second week, however. "Rio" took an estimated $7,000 at the Globe. New Trans-Lux Booker Buying and booking for the TransLux theatres on Madison and Lexington Aves. is now being handled through the home office of the TransLux Movies Corp., which operates the houses. Leo Brecher formerly represented the theatres. 'Live' Opens Monday "That They May Live," French film directed by Abel Gance, and distributed in this country by Arthur Mayer and Joseph Burstyn, Inc., will open Monday evening at the Filmarte, following the run of "The End of a Day."