Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1940)

6 Motion Picture Daily Monday, July 15, 1940 Feature Reviews ''Carolina Moon" (Republic) GENE AUTRY, Smiley Burnette, June Storey and Mary Lee shift their activities to the run down plantations in the Carolinas where there are just as many bad men as on any Western plain. There are several renditions of that popular hit tune, "Carolina Moon" as well as "Me and My Echo," "Say Si Si" "Dreams That Won't Come True," "At the Rodeo" and some spirituals by the plantation darkies. Mary Lee, who is coming up fast as a popular juvenile, joins in the singing on several occasions and should increase her popularity with audiences by this performance. Gene and Smiley enter a rodeo where they find that Miss Storey is trying to compete with a thoroughbread horse as her mount. Gene advises her against entering so sensitive an animal but she insists. Later, Gene purchases the thoroughbred but is somewhat surprised when he learns that Miss Storey and her family have returned home without delivering the animal. He traces them to their Carolina home where he discovers that all the plantation owners are in danger of being swindled out of their land by speculators who seek the rich pine forests. Gene stops the swindle and the film winds up in a battle royal between cowhands and lumberjacks with both sides swinging axes. Frank McDonald directed and William Berk was producer. Winston Miller wrote the story from an original by Connie Lee. Running time, 65 minutes. "G."* Edward Greif "Tengo Fe En TV ("I Believe in You") (Victoria-RKO) A Spanish musical drama, this was produced in Hollywood by Victoria Films for RKO release. Rosita Moreno is starred, with Jose Crespo, Romualdo Tirado and Franco Puglia, popular with Spanish audiences, in top roles. John Reinhardt directed. Told in first person fashion, Puglia, as an aged dancing professor, recounts the episodes of the story. Miss Moreno is a noted ballet dancer who dies in the early sequences. Following her death, Puglia finds the dancer's daughter in Paris and like her mother, the child is taught the intricacies of the ballet by him. Picking up years later, the girl, also portrayed by Miss Moreno, and her teacher go to Hollywood. There she impresses Crespo, a film producer, and becomes a star. Tirado is effective as an amusing booking agent. Running time, 70 minutes. "G."* 16mm. a Problem Upstate But Not Serious Elsewhere Following are additional reports on the extent of 16mm. • competition to theatres, which has been subject of protest by exhibitor organizations: U. S. Pictures Schine Growth In Five States Buffalo, July 14. — A picture of the Schine Circuit's expansion in recent years is given by the Government in a bill of particulars filed in U. S. District Court here in connection with its anti-trust suit against Schine. The great majority of the houses are in Ohio and New York, with a number in Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware. The Government lists 135 theatre acquisitions, as follows : Regent, Rialto and Strand, Amsterdam, N. Y. ; Opera House and Palace, Ashland, O. ; Athena, Court and Ohio, Athens, O. ; Jefferson, Palace. Strand and Auburn, Auburn, N. Y. ; Capitol, Ballston, N. Y. ; Babcock, Bath, N. Y. ; Court, Holland and Strand, Bellefontaine, O. ; Southern, State, Ohio and Bucyrus, Bucyrus, O. ; Granada, Jubilee and Riverside, Buffalo, N. Y. ; Arcade and Grand Opera, Cambridge, Md. ; Playhouse, Canandaigua, N. Y. ; Strand, Carthage, N. Y. ; Hippodrome and Kentucky, Corbin, Ky. Theatres in Small Towns Fox State, New Fox and Palace, Corning, N. Y. ; Cortland, State and Temple, Cortland, N. Y. ; Star and Strand, Delaware, O. ; Strand, Dolgeville, N. Y. ; Music Hall and Avalon, Easton, Md. ; Rialto, East Rochester, N. Y. ; Temple, Fairport, N. Y. ; Roxy, Civic and State, Fostoria, O. ; Regent, Temple and Geneva, Geneva, N. Y. ; Empire and Rialto, Glen Falls, N. Y. ; Glove and Hippodrome, Gloversville, N. Y. ; State, Hamilton, N. Y. Liberty, Herkimer, N. Y. ; Strand, Hudson Falls, N. Y. ; Hurlock, Hurlock, Md. ; Capital and Opera House, Illion, N. Y. ; New Kent and Opera House, Kent, O. ; Palace, Lake Placid, N. Y. ; New Waller, Laurel, Md. ; Ben Ali, Kentucky, Strand and State, Lexington, Ky. ; Rialto and Hippodrome, Little Falls, N. Y. ; Hi-Art, Palace and Rialto, Lockport, N. Y. ; Plaza and Malone, Malone, N. Y. Additional Listings Russel, Maysville, Ky. ; Princess, Medina, N. Y. ; Massena, Massena, N. Y. ; Plaza, Milford, Del.; Lyris, Vine, Ohio and Vernon, Mt. Vernon, O. ; Capital, Newark, N. Y. ; Moose and Forum, Norwalk, O. ; Colonial and Smalley, ' Norwich, N. Y. ; Star, Strand and Pontiac, Ogdensburg, N. Y. ; Oneonta, Palace and Strand, Oneonta, N. Y. ; Capital, Richardson, Strand and State, Oswego, N. Y. Bourbon, Paris, Ky. ; Elmwood, Penn Yan, N. Y. ; Auditorium, Perry, N. Y. ; Ohio, Piqua and Miami, Piqua, O. ; Ravenna, Ravenna, O. ; Madison and State, Richmond, Ky. ; Dixie, Grand, Liberty, Riviera, State, Cameo and Lake, Rochester, N. Y. Andrews, Salamanca, N. Y. ; Arcade, Salisbury, Md. ; Pontiac, Saranac Lake, N. Y. ; Strand, Seneca Falls, N. Y. ; Castamba, Shelby, O. ; Eckel, Paramount, Keith and Strand, Syracuse, N. Y. ; Tiffin, Ritz and Grand, Tiffin, O. ; State, Tupper Lake, N. Y. ; Strand and Van Wert, Van Wert, O. ; Avon, Olympic and Palace, Watertown, N. Y. ; Capital, Whitehall, N. Y. ; and the Wooster, Opera House and Wayne, Wooster, O. *"G" denotes general classification. Albany, July 14. — Near Canton and Watertown, in upper New York, specifically around Faust, St. Regis, Brasher Falls and near Potsdam 16 mm. films have a good foothold and are known to have taken some patronage form larger towns and small cities in that vicinity. Recently, however, a Utica exhibitor has announced his intention of opening in one or two of the towns where no theatre now operates. Northwest Is Untroubled Seattle, July 14. — The Pacific Northwest territory at present is almost completely free from the competition of 16 mm. films, according to a check by James M. Hone, executive secretary of the Washington state independent theatre owners. In anticipation of future competition, however, the exhibitors of this district have joined with the Pacific Coast Conference of Theatre Owners in adopting a resolution against the distribution of 16 mm. film by major producers, or the showing of such films by non-theatrical competition. No Problem in Iowa Des Moines, July 14. — A check reveals that there is very little 16 mm. film used in Iowa. Those that are in operation for the most part are with the use of portable machines during the Summer months in situations where there are no theatres. A good deal of the material thus shown is of an educational nature. Exhibitors have had no competitive problem with the 16 mm. shows. No Scranton Competition Scranton, Pa., July 14. — No competition has been reported from 16 mm. films here, although nearby amusement parks have been announcing free old time films once a week. An increase in non-theatrical showings by civic, religious and school groups has been reported. Virtually the same situation exists in the Wilkes-Barre area. Showmanship Flashes . . . Hardy Congratulations In New England Campaign On "Andy Hardy Meets Debutante" the Loew-Poli New England circuit arranged to have the mayors of six large New England cities extend congratulations to the Hardy Family on their third anniversary. The n-r'_sages were consolidated into a 15-iv" | ute transcription, complete with music and picture and theatre credits. They were played over local stations. Division Manager Harry Shaw and Lou Brown, publicity man, arranged the stunt. Haunted House Search Aids 'Ghost Breakers' Superior, Wis., July 14. — An appeal to local residents in his search for a haunted house, even though it was fruitless, provided a good gag for Harvey Buchanan, manager of the Palace, in his exploitation of "Ghost Breakers." Buchanan said he knew a reporter and photographer who would spend a night in such a house, if one could be found. Edison Models Used For Film in Philadelphia Philadelphia, July 14. — In conjunction with the showing of "Edison, the Man" at the Jackson Theatre here, Bud Freeman, exploitation director of the house, has arranged a lobby exhibit of the inventions and models of Thomas A. Edison. The display models were obtained through the cooperation of the Franklin Institute here and Thomas A. Edison Inventions of West Orange, N. J. Tax All Admissions, St. Louis Unit Urges St. Louis, July 14.— The M.P.T.O. of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, of which Fred Wehrenberg is president, has passed and forwarded to Congressmen a resolution urging there be no exemptions from the recent Federal admission tax, which set the exemption at 20 cents. Citing among the undesirable results of the 20-cent exemption in the amended law, the M.P.T.O. notes the policy of some exhibitors in lowering admissions below the exemption figure, thus obtaining an advantage over the exhibitor who "patriotically responded to the Government call." "Price cutting begets price cutting," the resolution said, and foresaw "a general demoralization of the show business" as well as defeat of the Government's obj ective. "The law seems to place a premium on 'chiselling' by unfair business men — action that threatens the entire price structure of the theatre industry," the resolution declared. Ed Kuykendall, president of the M.P.T.O.A., in a recent bulletin to members recalled that a move is under way for a revision of the Federal tax structure, which will probably include a tax on all admissions of 10 cents or more. Legislation to this effect may be introduced in the January session of Congress.