The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

P1AR 28 \m ©C1B 256537 VOL. XI' No. 5 ' • • • MAY 1935 CATHERINE McNELIS, Publisher Frank J. McNelis, Managing Editor • Bert Adler, Eastern Editor* John C. Mitchell, Western Editor* Verne Noll, Art Director • Mary Martin, Di-ector of Home Service A GLIMPSE AT THE EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK AT a colorful banquet in Hollywood a little A^ over a month ago, the Academy of • » Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made its seventh annual awards for the best screen performances of the year. The actress and actor chosen were Claudette Colbert, charming star of French descent, and Clark Gable, American. The picture for which they won the award was the Columbia production, "It Happened One Night," directed by Frank Capra, of Italian parentage, who won the award for the best direction of the year. A third award for performance was given to little Shirley Temple, Fox starlet, whom toastmaster Irvin Cobb, characterized as an "artist among artists, a giant among troupers." Little more need be said of this charming child player, whose engaging simplicity and appeal have won for her a place in the hearts of the American public. The foregoing is not news to you, for you have read it in your papers, and heard it over your radio. Neither is it news to the immense following of Miss Colbert, Mr. Gable and Mr. Capra and Miss Temple, who are firmly convinced that the award is not only rightful and proper, but should be made annually. The real news in this award is the emergence of a young and relatively small picture producing organization into the company of the elect, the many starred and all-powerful companies such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, Warner Brothers, RKO-Radio and others. Under the able direction of Harry Cohn, on the Coast, and Jack Cohn, in the East, this energetic and youthful concern has forged ahead rapidly. It has upset many of the established precedents of movie-making, and has attacked each new problem with a fervor that speaks in the highest terms of the ability of the Cohn brothers and the loyalty of their trusted organization. It has produced a series of box-office pictures that have set the fans of the nation clamoring for more, and has made the producers and directors of other companies more alert, and more desirous of making finer pictures. All of this means better and better pictures for you who are the final consumers. THE BEST OF THE MONTH'S STORIES OF THE STARS Are Handsome Men Safe in Hollywood — Richard English 4 The Talkies Are Walkies Janet Graves 6 Janet's Secret Hideaway Jack Jamison 16 Hollywood's Most Successful Extra — Eric Ergenbright 18 Just Plain John Elsie Janis 1 9 It's a Fake Hal Hall 20 Laurels for Hardy Charles Darnton 25 No Movie Madness for Kitty. .. .John T. Casey 26 w j j -i r i \ Freddie — Charles Darnton Freddie and Frankie i I Frankie — Lucile Babcock 27 Fred Astaire's Secrets of Success — David Flournoy 28 NEWS OF THE FORTHCOMING FILMS On-the-Set Reviews Barbara Barry 29 NEW MOVIES SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS Music in the Movies John Edgar Weir 8 Tower Star Fashions 22 Hollywood Day by Day Nemo 30 The Spring Parties Grace Kingsley 32 The Masculine Touch 33 Merle Oberon's Beautiful Eyes 36 The Make-Up Box Marilyn 36 You Tell Us 38 Junior Hollywood Henry Willson 40 King of Sound 64 COVER DESIGN BY GENE REX When changing address send us both old and new addresses, and allow five weeks (or the first copy to reach you. Published Monthly by TOWER MAGAZINES, Inc., 4600 Diversey Avenue, Chicago, 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, JohnlP. McNelis, Vice-president; Theodore Alexander, Treasurer, Marie L. Featherstone, Secretary. R. H. Flaherty, Advertising 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., I 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 stan.ped, self-addressed envelopes. Owners submitting unsolicited manuscripts assume all risk of their loss or damage. ANOTHER newcomer in the film industry is the youthful and socially prominent John Hay Whitney, who is building a company to produce nothing but color pictures. This company will produce in color the famous Thackeray novel Vanity Fair, under the title of "Becky Sharp." Miriam Hopkins, colorful and brilliant blonde star, will play the title role. When Mr. Whitney decided to go into the picture-producing business, he sought out his friend Robert Edmond Jones, noted stage director and impressario, to take care of the many problems of color photography. Their first picture, an experimental two-reel production, "La Cucaracha," was received and welcomed by the fans of the country with open arms. It is interesting to note, at this point, that this picture also won the Motion Picture Academy award for the best short subject in the comedy class. Heartened by the immense success of the venture, Mr. Whitney became more and more positive of the future of color pictures, and if the reception of "La Cucaracha" is any criterion, we may be prepared for an entirely new kind of talking picture, within a short time. VYyHILE Mr. Whitney is experimenting with »▼ color pictures, and Samuel Goldwyn is experimenting with a new three-dimensional picture, Merlin H. Aylesworth, president of RKO, has announced that television in a perfected form, is ready for the country. He adds, however, that at the present time it is very expensive and that each set will be beyond the means of the average radio listener. There is little question that television is close, for we have had a number of experimental broadcasting stations, and on the Coast, the Brothers Warner, astute business men, have been conducting a series of tests to see if motion pictures can be broadcast through the newer medium. All of which causes us to wonder what the future of the stage and screen will be. Will everybody stay at home and watch news events, motion pictures and stage plays enacted on the screen of their home television set? Or will the lure of the crowd, the attraction of seeing, close-up, the players on a stage be stronger? Only time can tell. But come what may, we can be sure that the producers of motion pictures, and the producers of stage plays, and the directors of radio programs will continue to improve their media until the time has come when a newer cycle of entertainment has succeeded the old. 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