Everybody's Hobby (Warner Bros.) (1939)

PUBLICITY AND EXPLOITATION Amusing Hobby Film Opens At Strand Theatre Today Spiced with a bit of melodrama, ‘<Everybody’s Hobby,’’ the Warner Bros. production opening today at the Strand Theatre with Irene Rich and Henry O’Neill in the main roles, is mostly a heartwarming and amusing tale about events in a typical American middle class famfly. This family, like about every other in the nation, is made up of hobbyists. Every member of it has his or her own hobby, and each is almost fanatically devoted to the pursuit of said hobby. A little gentle fun is poked at the hobbyists and their avocations, but the picture is really on their side and constitutes a rather convineing homily on the generally son and daughter, and Aldrich Bowker as dad’s rather shiftless brother, living at the house for an indefinite stay. It is when dad and the boy go on the camping trip in the mountains, taking along, respectively, their photographie and short-wave radio equipment, that their hobbies pay dividends. For the radio is the only means of communicating with the outside world when a big forest fire breaks out. And then dad’s camera with telephoto lens takes a picture of a pyromaniac who set the blaze, which results in the payment of a $2000 reward for the capture of the firebug. The screen play, written by Less Strenuous Roles Okay By O'Neil After galloping on horseback and fighting saber duels through ‘*Juarez,’’ coughing through the bullet smoke in ‘‘You Can’t Get Away with Murder,’’ wielding a sledgehammer on the railroad spikes in ‘‘ Dodge City’’ and dodging the debris from an underworld bomb in ‘‘The Man Who Dared,’’ Henry O’Neill thought that Fate had dealt him a soft spot and a nice little vacation when he was directed to go to a picnic camping shot in the woods near Lake Sherwood, Calif., for scenes of ‘*Hverybody’s Hobby,’’ the Warner Bros. picture at the Strand gathered up § his lumber} jack shirt, his § heavy-soled } shoes, his most § shapeless old } fedora, drag§ ged out a pipe } and whistled § cheerily to himself as he packed a fish§ ing pole and a thermos bot| tle full of hot coffee for his 5:30 departure in a Warner Bros. Mat 106—15c HENRY O’NEILL ‘“Tt’s going to be a lot of fun making this camp sequence,’’ he observed to William McGann, the director. “‘Well, it’ll be fun if we get through the forest fire all right,’’ McGann said dubiously. ‘‘ But, you know, we’ll have to be pretty careful about the flames after we get them started in the piles of brush, We can’t take any chances. ’? ““Morest fire?’’ exclaimed O’Neill, ‘‘What forest fire? I thought we’re going for a picnic and a nice quiet rest.’’ ‘*Rats,’?? (or something) said He was all smiles as he Studio truck for the location. |e O’Neill, as his visions of a couple of restful days vaeation vanished. = li éxplotation ‘ac its beneficial effect of the penchant of Kenneth Gamet and William B. = = Americans for cultivating hobbies. Brockway, was based on an origa = The family As made up of inal story by es yes ane the = = = MscthceMeth Jaukis Mom cud PAGEL UA he Wistar Brow = » Easy Working Ideas To = Jean Sharon as their ’teen age director. = = = Stage Your Own Hobby Lobby = HAS GOLF BUG FAVORITE ACTRESS = = Henry O’Neill has, in all seTrene Rich who is currently fea= Ay it shea = riousness, sketched out a film plot tured in ‘‘Everybody’s Hobby,’’ = en \\ \\ th If = which is all about a genial Scotswas the favorite film actress of Ee | \ \\e ; My Wy = man who is joint guardian of a the late Will Rogers. The come= S SNS 4s = bonnie blonde daughter and a wind dian always insisted on a place in = = swept golf links in the old counhis cast: for Miss Rich, if a place = = try. He is hoping that Warner could be made, and she was ¢o== = Bros. will make the picture and featured with Will in three of his = = cast him as the old golf bug, so most famous films: ‘‘So This is = = that he can catch up on his faLondon,’’ ‘‘They Had to See = = vorite game, which has been deParis’? and ‘‘Down to Harth,’’ = = nied to him through many months and played in ten pictures with = = of continuous film work. His lahim, in all. Miss Rich fills a long = == test Warner Bros. picture is ‘‘ Evvacant place on her return to the —_ = erybody’s Hobby.’’ Henry O’Neill screen in the Warner Bros. picture = — is the father in the amusing comnow at the Strand Theatre which = =o edy now at the Strand Theatre. was directed by William McGann. = p= Pia: = = ae s* xploitation a —— a aS = = Hf you want to stay “straight” in your lobby, get & = = = together all the collections you can borrow for = = What's Your Hobby? = = exhibition purposes. These can be stamp collect & = AC | : = = Ors’ books, bottle caps, intricate radio hookups, = = ontest = __ boat models, anything that leoks like a hobby. __ = The big contest is titled “Whats =] = Give credit to the hobbyists and supplement the & _ Your Hobby?” For week or so be= displays with stills from the picture. = = fore opening, find by use of adver= = = = tising, newspaper publicity, teaser = = [No. 2] == = tack ecards and lobby boards, every= — = = hody’s hobby. Winners in each of 2&2 — Or you can “gag” up your lebby to get a let of = —_ = the classes listed below are intro2 = laughs and attention thus: Stock a tub of water & = duced from stage, awarded prizes 2 = with some goldfish and have red and reel nearby; =] = and asked to demonstrate their 2 = copy reads: “Fishing Your Hobby? Make Laugh2] = hobby if possible. = = ter Your Hebby — Take Your Family To See &@ == — = EVERYBODY’S HOBBY!” = = Most unusual hobby. = = = = Youngest hobbyist. = = = = Oldest hobbyist. = = | [No. 3] = = Funniest hobby. = = Geta hobby horse big enough to have a kid ride &@ = Most worthwhile hobby. = = tit at regular intervals. Pick up ad copy to tie in. J = Most useless hobby. = = = = Most expensive hobby. = = [No. 4] = = Most inexpensive hobby. = = Giant telescope out front with copy sign reading: 2 = Person with most hobbies. = = “Seeing Stars Your Hobby? Youw’ll See Plenty In & = Family with most hobbies. = = The Funniest Picture In Years — EVERYBODYS &2 = = = HOBBY!” == = ° s ¢& = = Teaser Card | Ff Hi aebahay Zz = ‘What's Your Hobby?” — Distrib= = Promote all sorts of “hobby equipment,” guns, 2&2 _ ute teaser cards carrying this copy = Cameras, riding clothes, model airplanes, radios, = — around town. If you're figuring on a = ete., from merchants in town for your lobby. Pa& = using the contest above, use the = = trons are asked to indicate which is their hobby = a= ecard as is for an advance buildup; = = by dropping slips in ballot box. Tabulation is kept = _ otherwise add title and playdate. _ = on scoreboard. Spot stills in stores plugged. = Srl IIIA MANNA el [5]