Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

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Page 32 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW April 15, 1939 Dealing realistically with the booking, advertising and exploitation of the newsreel, serial and short, and emphasizing their importance. IN TiiE : United Artists Countess Eleanor Von Keller, producer of the World Windows Series of Technicolor shorts, cables from Delhi that she has completed four new subjects. They are "The Jungle", "Indian Temples", "An Indian Road" and "The Maharajah". RKO Joe Walsh and Harry Smith, Pathe Sportscope crew, are back in New York after filming the Augusta Masters' Tournament. Shots of Horton Smith, Dick Metz. Ed Dudley and Jimmy Thompson will be used in a golf reel for April release, titled "Smooth Approach". Columbia Plans are being made for a new series of six one-reel shorts to be produced and released as part of the 1939-40 program. Titled "Fools W'ho Made History," each short will be a dramatic, well documented short biography of a famous benefactor of humanity who, at the time when he was at work on his greatest discovery, was commonly regarded as a fool. Hugh McCollurn will produce the series, and Jan LeMan will write and direct the subjects. "Three Sappy People", a new Three Stooges comedy which includes in the cast, Lorna Gray in the feminine lead, and Don Beddoe, Bud Jameson, and Forbes Murray in important supporting roles, was completed last week. "Three Sappy People" presents the Stooges — Howard, Fine and Howard — as telephone repairmen who masquerade as psychiatrists and apply a most unusual therapy with hilarious results to a millionaire's wife. Jules White produced and directed. MCM With the announcement that twelve shorts will get under way during April, Jack Chertok, producer of short subjects, prepares for the busiest month of the year. First to start will be a new "Crime Does Not Pay" two-reeler, "Help Wanted", a story of the unemployment racket. Fred Zinneman will direct. Two other crime shorts, "Drunk Driving," and "Under Our Very Eyes" concerning itself with GermanAmerican bunds in this country, will go before the cameras within the next four weeks. Having finished two of his proposed three one-reelers in New York, Robert Benchley started on his third and last Eastern comedy of the season. The new laughfest will be titled "Parlor Magic", according to Jack Chertok, Metro-GoldwynMa3'er shorts producer who recently arrived from the East, where he supervised the preparation of Benchley's comedies. The first Benchley film was "How To Eat", followed by "How To Keep Warm". The new one-reeler will be finished hy the first of next week at which time the comedian will wind up his Eastern affairs preparatory to his trip West to complete his screen series. The last of the current season's series of musical shorts, "Street of Romance", which Louis Lew)^ will make with George Sidney directing, will also start. Sidney also is to direct "Pups and Penguins", a miniature, and two new "Our Gang" comedies. "The Story of Dr. Goldberger" will be John Nesbitt's contribution in the "Passing Parade" series, and Robert Benchley is expected to return in time to do two of his famed comedies on the coast. Last of the dozen films will iie two patriotic shorts, "The Mayflower Pact", and an untitled story of Abraham Lincoln. \\'ith the final stroke of their paint brushes, Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising. producers of cartoons, announce that the first of their series of new Technicolor cartoons is completed. The new one-reel laughfest, "The Little Goldfish", starts the yearly series of eighteen such one-reelers that Harman and Ising will turn out. They start work immediately on the second color cartoon, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", to be followed bv "The Little Bear". Vitaphone A lavishly mounted two-reel musical Kiddie Revue, with a cast of 65 children, is currently in production. This is the third year that the Vitaphone studio has filmed a short with an all-infant cast. The youngsters range in age from three to eight years and have been recruited from several states. Maryland, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey are represented in the film. Joseph Henabery is directing. Paramount With baseball about to start on its long schedule in key cities throughout the nation, Grantland Rice, producer of "Diamond Dust", a Sportlight, introduces Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, high commissioner of organized baseball, to film fans. In this same reel which reveals the scientific points of America's national pastime, the audience is also treated to action scenes in which the following champions participate: Johnny Vander Meer, Bill Dickey, Hank Greenberg, Jimmy Fo.xx and Joe McCarthy. Paramount's latest Unusual Occupation, No. 5 features many prominent personalities from the screen and radio. In the film Jean Parker, of the screen, is shown designing her own wardrobe; Ben Bernie. Lanny Ross and Jessica Dragonette, all of radio fame, are among the foremost "doodiers," unconscious scribblers. In another se(|uence of tliis reel Guy Lombardo, orchestra leader, acts as the model for a prominent sculptor who works on hands only making attractive bookends, penholders and other unusual ornaments. Scholastic Magazine Devotes Space to Warner Historical Short Scholastic Magacinc dtvoted a special section space to Warner Bros.' latest historical featuret in Technicolor, "Lincoln in the White House" in a recent issue. The publication, which is the national High School weekly, described the film in connection with the stage and screen versions of tlie life of the President. Stills from the Warner production illustiated the article. FIRST RUN SHORT PRODUCT BROADWAY, NEW YORK (Week Beginning April IS) CAPITOL — Little Gold Fish (MGM) ; Weather Wizards (MGM) ; While America Sleeps (MGM). CRITERION — Happy Tots (Col.); Lone Ranger Rides Again No. 9 (Rep.) rev. 218-39. GLOBE— Odd Sports (Col.) ; A Day at the Zoo (\"ita.) rev. 3-18-39. PARAMOUNT— Pictorial No. 9 (Para.) ; Good Sl<ates (Para.); Popular Science No. 3 (Para.); Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (Para.). RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL— The Ugly Duckling (RKO) rev. 10-22-38. RIALTO— Oliver the Eighth (MGM) reissue. RIVOLI — Donald's Luckv Day (RKO) rev. 10-22-38; Smooth Approach (RKO). ROXY — G-Men Jitters (20th-Fox) ; Fashion Forecast for Spring and Summer (20th-Fox) rev. this issue. STRAND— Chained (Vita.) rev. 3-25-39. CHICAGO LOOP (Week Ending April 15) APOLLO — It's the McCoy (Vita.); Fashion Forecast for Spring and Summer (20th-Fox) rev. this issue. CHICAGO— Chicken Jitters (Vita.) rev. 4-1-39. GARRICK— Home Cheap Home (Vita.) ; on Tap (MGM). ROOSEVELT— A Fat Chance (Vita.) ; Fashion Forecast for Spring and Summer (20th Fov) re\'. this isue. UNITED ARTISTS— Money to Loan (MGM) rev. 4-1-39; Fisherman's Pluck (Para.) rev. 4-1-39; Porky's Movie Mystery (Vita.) rev. 3-4-39. Scores of Tieups Made On ''Fashion Forecasts Exhibitors playing the Vyvyan Donner "Fashion Forecast" series are fortunate in that several nationwide tieups have been effected on the various styles in the latest Technicolor reel "Fashion Forecasts for Spring and Summer." For example, on Mark Cross bags and gloves, approximately 170 dealers throughout the country are all set to cooperate with exhibitors. No less than 60 merchants have been brought into play for tieups on hats by Lily Dache. As for shoes by Palter de Liso, there are over 40 merchants in scattered points eager to give every possible assistance to exhibitors in their territories playing the "Forecasts." Bridal costumes by David Gottlieb, Inc., are featured by sixteen merchants in key cities. There are hundreds of other retailers who have stocked up on the different types of dresses exhibited in the reel. Names and addresses of these merchants are contained in a press book issued by 20th Century-Fox. If you don't have one, order it from your exchange. And remember that even though your own situation may not be listed (lack of space often prevents this) there is still a strong possibility that a merchant near you sells the styles featured. Lots of suggestions for other tieups, a wealth of publicity stories, and a variety of mats are also in the press book. There are 20 eye-catching stills available at your 20thFox exchange for use in illustratingstories, for special layouts in the women's section of the newspaper and for your own lobby displays. Vyvyan Donner's "Fashion Forecasts" are really exploitable subjects. Give them plenty of exploitation and advertising. Then watch the ladies (bringing the men with them) rush to your box office.