The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

FEB 28 1335 ©C1B 252881 new movie VOL. XI No. 4 • • • APRIL 1935 CATHERINE McNELIS, Publisher Frank J. McNeil's, Managing Editor»Bert Adler, Eastern Editor* John C. Mitchell, Western Editor* Hugh Ryan, Art Director • Verne Noll, Associate Art Director A GLIMPSE AT THE EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK IF ever an industry could be called American, it is the motion picture industry, more popularly known as "the movies." Nowhere else in the world does such a large army of followers flock week after week to see, hear and be entertained by the vivid and oft-times inspired creations of the producers of the flickering images. The old world has its operas, its pageants and spectacles, and its song festivals, but in America the "movie" holds first place in the hearts of the public. Something like 120,000,000 persons attend picture shows each year. Nowhere else in the world could such a huge audience be drawn to any kind of entertainment. And these "fans" are not the type to accept anything that comes along. They demand, and get, the kind of pictures they desire. A producer may get by for a time by not heeding the demands of his far-flung audience, but not for long. The "fans" manifest their desires and make their demands in no uncertain terms. They bombard the movie magazines with letters, overwhelm the studios with requests, and most important of all, flock to the motion picture "palaces" or stay away in such huge numbers that no producer can mistake their meaning. And that is the way stars are made and unmade. And not only do the fans choose the stars who are to entertain them, but they also choose the stories they want to see. Many who complain about the cycles of entertainment forget that the voice and desires of the people are responsible. The movie pendulum swings back and forth; we have had cycles of gangster pictures, war, musical, and costume pictures. At the present moment people are demanding pictures of a semi-operatic nature. This is no doubt due to the tremendous success of "One Night of Love," which starred the songbird, Grace Moore. Another trend is back again to the mystery thriller. In other ways, too, the fans make known their preferences. An Indianapolis reader, writes in to say: "New Movie can confer a great favor on its readers if it will inaugurate a drive to eliminate or at least shorten the 'coming' trailer in the picture houses. They are a nuisance." It further suggests to the editors, who have had similar requests along this line, to publish an article under the general heading "Are Trailers a Nuisance?" At the present time with so many houses playing double features, together with newsreel, comedy and perhaps a cartoon, it may seem that the trailers are too long. And yet the producer of the trailers naturally tries to get as many scenes as possible of coming pictures into his announcement in order properly to advertise its merit. Another storm center among the fans is the advertising film that is slipped into the program. While it is true many of these films are cleverly done and have certain entertainment and educational values, do they really belong in the show? Regardless of what an exhibitor may think, the advertising reel is advertising, and patrons know it. And further, they do not like to pay to see something that the theater itself has been paid to run. In the fan's eye that does not constitute entertainment. With television just around the corner, many farsighted producers are wondering what effect the new devices will have on the movies. Some are viewing the future with alarm, feeling that the vast army of radio fans will adopt the new product immediately. Not so the astute Samuel Goldwyn, one of the pioneers of tho movies. Mr. Goldwyn is sponsoring a new device which may pave the way to three-dimensional movies. It is a variation of the old stereoscopic movies. If you remember, these were the movies that gave the impression of looking into a room and seeing all sides and the depth of the room at the same time. Those who are inclined to scoff and say it isn't possible are under-estimating the Goldwyn reputation as a pioneer. They forget, too, that many experimented on sound films until the brothers Warner went into it whole-heartedly and gave us the talkie. And J. H. Whitney, a newcomer into the motion picture field, is leading the way to a new and finer color picture. You remember the colored short picture, "La Cucaracha," and its tremendous reception. "Becky Sharp," which he is producing now as a full-length feature, will be in color. And it might well be that it will lead the way to a new field of natural color pictures. Adolph Zukor once said no one corporation could ever control the movies because it was a business of "ideas." New Movie takes the liberty to add that it is also a business of the personalities behind the ideas. OTHER TOWER MAGAZINES — MYSTERY • TOWER RADIO • SERENADE • HOME • TINY TOWER NEW ISSUE ON SALE THE FIRST OF EVERY MONTH THE BEST OF THE MONTH'S STORIES OF THE STARS They're the Tops Jack Jamison 4 Three Sides of Jimmy Victor Jory 6 How Fatherhood Softened E. G. (Hard Guy) Robinson Barbara Robbins 1 5 The Garbo You Never Knew.. .Douglas Gilbert 16 The Man in the Mirror Charles Darnton 18 Hard-to-Get Hepburn Elsie Janis 19 It's a Fake William A. Ulman, Jr. 20 The New Fashion Queen. .. .Whitney Williams 27 Actors Are Nobodies Hal Hall 30 In Exile and Loving It Jerry Asher 33 It's a Million to One You'll Never Be a Star — John Casey 38 NEWS OF THE FORTHCOMING FILMS On-the-Sef Reviews Barbara Barry 32 NEW MOVIE'S SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS Hollywood Goes A-partying Grace Kingsley 8 Introducing Tower Star Fashions 22 Hollywood Day by Day Nemo 28 All the World's a Screen Herb Howe 31 Music in the Movies John Edgar Weir 34 Shirley Temple's Birthday Party. .Rita Calhoun 37 Watch Your Neck and Arms, says Madge Evans 52 You Tell Us 54 The Make-Up Box 0j John Boles' House 71 Wood Accessories 73 COVER DESIGN BY GENE REX When changing cddress send us both old and new addresses, and allow five weeks for the first copy to reach you. Published Monthly by TOWER MAGAZINES, Inc., 4600 Diversey Avenue, Chicaso, III. Executive and Editorial Offices: 55 Fifth Avenue New York, N. y. . . . Home Office: 22 No. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre' Pa. Western Editorial Office: 7046 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CaL Officers: Catherine McNelis, President, John P. McNelis, Vice-president; Theodore Alexander, I reasurer, Marie L. Featherstone, Secretary. R. H. Flaherty, Advertises Director; E. L. Schroeder, Eastern Advertising Manager; S. B. Galey, Western Advertising Manager; R. M. Budd, Pacific Coast Representative. Advertising Offices: 55 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y., 919 No. Michigan Ave., Chicago, III.; Russ Building, San Francisco, Cal. Copyright, 1935 (Title Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.) by Tower Magazines, Inc., in the United States and Canada. Subscription price in the U. S. A., $1.00 a year, 10c a copy; in Canada, $1 .60 a year, including duty, 15c a copy; in foreign countries, $2.00 a year, 20c a copy. Entered as second class matter September 9, 1933, at the Post Office at Chicago, III., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Printed in U. S. A. Nothing that appears in THE NEW MOVIE MAGAZINE may be reprinted, either wholly or in part, without permission. Tower Magazines, Inc. assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, and they will not be returned unless accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelopes. Owners submitting unsolicited manuscripts assume all risk of their loss or damage.