Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1936)

August 8, 1936 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 51 ASIDES & INTERLUDES by JAMES P. CUNNINGHAM Dave Rubinoff — without his fiddle — was lunching on Broadway with an actor friend, who between fish scales was telling Rubinoff of his "sumptuous" suite at a nearby Times Square hotel. "Would you believe it," the ham exploded, "the sun hits through my window at the crack of dawn just like a spotlight." "Yes," squelched Rubinoff, "and I suppose you get up and take a bow." V One of the several scenes in "The Green Pastures" which stirred ow special speculative interest in stagecraft shows Moses, acting magic-wise , turning a wand into a slimy, slithering snake. It was all done so smartly that ■we applauded even though it appeared to us that the scene of Moses holding the wooden wand had been cut out the while the writhing snake scene was cut in. But now we are told that there was no cut-out or cut-in. The effect was accomplished without any interruption by freezing a real snake in a high-powered refrigerator, handing him over while frozen stiff to Moses for use as a wand and then thawing him out under blazing arc-lights. V The gradual development of London as a motion picture producing center has already had its effect in bringing forth at least some amusing tidbits in the vein of our own Hollywood. One concerns the extremely dignified Shakespearean actor — and there's nothing more dignified than a Shakespearean actor in London — who, having never before appeared in motion pictures, humbled himself to ask for $60 a week to play the part of a full-blooded Indian "extra." The studio casting agent offered him $30, which the thespian declined. Walking haughtily to the exit, however, the actor evidently reconsidered the opportunity to eat, and, turning to the agent, declared, "Very well, I'll take the part for $30, but I'll act only as a halfbreed." V Bitingly cynical ol' George Bernard Shazv refused, on his 80th birthday, the other afternoon, in England, to accept a present from his colleagues in the Malvern Players of the stage, on the grounds that it "would only be the presentation of some silver atrocity of no use to me or anybody else." Then, turning to Hollywood, he asserted he would direct one of his plays for the movies if they gave him $100,000. It's not the silver,, but the amount that counts. V Walter Greenwood reports that screen Americanisms are being assimilated even in England's Lancashire. Lancashire children, for example, have picked up our "Sez you!" Except that they say: "Says thee!" V Then there's the marquee mirth-provoker which Paul Kneeland postcards from Medford, Mass : BRIDES ARE LIKE THAT Always Cool and Comfortable V The show business will soon be bidding for the "Camp Transparent Woman." It was brought to this country last week direct from the famous Hygiene Museum in Dresden to be exhibited first at Rockefeller Center, at the foot of our office window, and later to tour the country. This scientific machination is the result of some 20 years of laboratory research. It presents the intricate structure and functioning mechanism — transparently — of the female body, lacking only one gadget — namely, something that zvould stop women from talking too much. FRUSTRATION Editor, Daily News, New York: The rat who invented movie censorship ought to be shot. Here I am, just come of age to see some swell spicy pictures, and now there aren't any. Damn it. Sexy-Wexy Sid. BURIED inconspicuously in newspaper obituaries the other morning was a notice of the death at Clementsport, Nova Scotia, of one Bernard Goodman, at 80 years. He gave to the motion picture the subject of the most preposterous publicity fiction ever perpetrated on the screen: — Miss Theodosia Goodman, his daughter, who was first introduced to theatricals as Theodosia DeCoppett, finally evolving in the films as Theda Bara — Theda being a rearrangement of the letters of "death," while Bara was just a mere cypher, of Arab spelled backwards. Theda Bara became a box office hit overnight for William Fox, in January, 1915, in "A Fool There Was." Thus began the building of the great Bara screen vampiring myth. Plotters and compounders of the Bara publicity fiction appeared mostly in the person of Al Selig, press agent, who now is with Abraham Patrick Waxman at GB Pictures. Mr. Selig in the Bara days had been a confrere of Winfield Sheehan. Conscienceless press agents' typewriters soon began to ply the newspapers with Miss Goodman's "most amazing past," announcing that Theda Bara was the daughter of a French artist and an Arabian mistress, born on the sands of the Sahara. Thus this "deadly" Arab daughter of poor Tailor Goodman was pictured as a crystal gazing seeress of profoundly occult powers, wicked as fresh red paint and poisonous as dried spiders. Little girls read the newspaper copy and swallowed their gum with excitement, as they studied the Underwood and Underwood poses of Theda with skulls and crossbones, glass balls and all the trade marks of Oriental desert mysticism. Theda Bara of the screen, working her willowy way with men in a manner that would make Mae West appear to be the best behaved pupil at the proverbial Sunday School picnic, became the vicarious and shadowy realization of several million variously suppressed desires. She received awed newspaper reporters in darkened parlors draped with black and red, in the tone of her sweeping gown. She was white, languid and painfully polite. The air was always heavy with turberoses and incense. But when the door closed on the last interviewer the windows went up with loud laughter. "Give me air!" commanded Theodosia. V Paramount Pictures and Kraft-Phenix Cheese have worked out a cooperative merchandising stunt on Bing Crosby's new "Rhythm on the Range." They are calling it "the biggest radiomotion picture merchandising opportunity of recent years." We hope that air listeners will not misunderstand the radio announcers when they bellow : "Buy More Cheese ! See 'Rhythm on the Range.' " Walter Wanger's blonde English-born star, Madeleine Carroll, for years had dreamed of owning a dream castle on the Mediterranean. Fulfillment came only a few months ago when she and her British husband, Captain Philip Astley, made an investment in the acquisition of an ancient estate overlooking the blue sea, proceeding therefrom to modernize the structure completely, even to the construction of a swimming pool — the addition of a modern pool to a colorful old castle dating back centuries being an exertion of the Hollywood influence. It was to be their "dream castle," a place to which they could slip away for quiet vacations. Time for the first vacation came the other day, but there will be no visit to the dream castle. It's in Spain, in the heart of the revolution. V Whatever effect "The Green Pastures" may have on spectators now witnessing its presentation, religiously or otherwise , none can compare zmth its influence on the colored Rex Ingram while he played De Lawd during the filming at Warner Brothers' studio in California. It cost Lawd Ingram most of his studio salary. Mr. Ingram returned to his native Harlem the other afternoon from Warners' "heaven" on the coast, and reported that he actually felt he was "De Lawd" while at the studio. "The little chillun in the picture would spend their time around me" Mr. Ingram said, and because he zvas De Lazvd he felt he had to spend most of his salary buying ice cream cones and frozen custard for them. "I never liad any money," he moaned. Although Warner Brothers in the picture had him perform miracles of all kinds and descriptions, De Lawd couldn't raise a single ice cream cone when the kids came around, without putting cash on the counter. V Reminded by the eons required to complete the reading of the book, inquiries are already being received from the _ public regarding the advisability of carrying a suitcase, or a trunk with pajamas, toothbrush and a complete change of clothes to theatres showing Warner Brothers' "Anthony Adverse." V The report by circus men and vaudeville circuits concerning a scarcity of jugglers caused the New York Sun to investigate. The editors found most of the jugglers working in city, state and national treasury departments. V Carl Brisson returned to Europe from some experiences in Hollywood with one indelible impression, i.e. : "Mae West is a grand sport — a real man's man ! Over in Hollywood she likes nothing better than to sit down in my home in a comfy chair and, with a half dozen men around her, to tell a series of Stock Exchange stories." Keeping well within margin, we hope. V Gert Merriam left our "Shozv of Showmanship" Managers Round Table Department last Friday afternoon holiday-bent on a vacation that undoubtedly was deserved. Two days azvay from the office, however, zvith all of its exploitation intrigue, ballyhoo and exhibition merchandising and Gert hopped a United Air Liner for Cleveland to see what kind of shozvmen they have out there putting on the Great Lakes Exposition. In the navy a vacationing sailor goes rozving in the park.