Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Page 20 S H O VV M E N ' S T R A D E R E V I E W May 13, 1939 Dealing realistically with the booking, advertiiing and exploitation of the newsreel, serial and short, and emphasizing their importance. THE Vitaphone Leon Schlesinger, producer of "Merrie Melody" and "Looney Tune" cartoons, has completed work on a patriotic one-reel "Merrie Melody" cartoon in Technicolor, entitled "Old Glory". The film deals with Porky Pig's desire to understand the meaning of pledging allegiance to the flag, and after a cartoon figure of Uncle Sam starts to explain it to him, a cavalcade of American history passes by. The cartoon is one of the most ambitious ever produced by the studio, and will be released July 4. Carey Wilson made his two one-reelers on Hollywood extras, "Hollywood Extras," and "Hollywood Second Step," Jane Barnes was chosen to portray herself in each of the films. Miss Barnes married soon after and hadn't appeared again on the screen until Felix E. Feist gave her her first leading role in Pete Smith's latest specialty, "Culinary Carving." "Pups and Penguins," an "Our Gang" comedy went into production this week with a cast of three goats, twelve dogs and a penguin sharing top roles with the gang. George Sidney directs, Jack Chertok produces from screenplay by Alfred Giebler. Columbia Buster Keaton will begin his second tworeel comedy under the direction and production of Jules White this week. Lorna Gray will most likely be his leading lady. The story, as yet untitled, was written by Clyde Bruckman and has a Civil War background. MCM A new memljer is added to "Our Gang." He is five-year-old Michael Gubitosi, son of a Passaic, New Jersey, blacksmith. The father gave up his government anvil job to bring Michael to the Coast for a vaudeville engagement that didn't materialize. An appointment was made for the boy to see Fred Datig, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer casting director. Impressed, Datig assigned Michael to a small role in the feature, "Bridal Suite." Jack Chertok, producer of the "Gang" comedies, saw rushes on the film, and immediately signed Alichael as a permanent addition to the Gang. He will be seen in the latest Gang comedy, "Joy Scouts" which P2dward Cahn is directing. Hollywood's typical extra girl now has a leading role. A year and a half ago, when Simultaneously, production will start on the first of Columbia's "Fools Who Made History" series, to be released during 193940. The initial one-reeler in this series of six will tell the story of Elias Howe, inventor of the sewing machine. Jan LeMan, writer of the screenplay, will direct, under the supervision of Hugh McCollum. Three recently' completed shorts were previewed with gratif3'ing results during the past week. They were "Three Sappy People," starring the Three Stooges; Charley Chase in "Teacher's Pest;" and a Columbia Community Sing featuring the Sons of the Pioneers in Western Ballads. Being readied for early national showing is the "Columbia Tour" recently filmed on Treasure Island, site of the San Francisco World's Fair. The subject was filmed en WTf :i Director Crane Wilbur Directing Crane Wilbur, who has made many of the Warner Bros, historical featurets is shown here giving instructions to his cast before shooting a scene for the newest one, 'Bill of Rights". In Triple Role Alexander WooUcott, i^'ho ci-'i// pen the script, narrate and act in the forthcoming Dioime (Jiiintitplet screen special ta be made by RKO Fathe and released by RKO. It is tentatively titled "Five Times Five." tirely in Cinecolor, with Producer Hugh McCollum heading a camera crew that spent considerable time in the Bay City in order to completely cover the fair. 122 Shorts, 4 Serials On Col's New Program Columbia's program of short subjects for the new season announced at its convention in Atlantic City this week represents the largest short subject program of any distributor. The company plans four serials, 26 tworeel subjects and 96 single reels. The four serials are as follows: "The Shadow", based on the radio program ; "Terry and the Pirates" from the syndicated cartoon strip; "The Green Archer" from the Edgar Wallace novel; "Deadwood Dick" the far famed dime novel western hero. There will be two series of two-reel comedies. Eight will be made by the Three Stooges and 18 will feature other comedians such as Charley Chase and Buster Keaton. There will be 36 cartoons divided into three series. The Color Rhapsodies series of 16 will be continued. Scrappy and Krazy Kat will be among the characters to be seen in 10 cartoons of the Phantasies series. Six Fable cartoons will also be made by Charles Mintz. "Fools Who Made History" is the title of a series of six subjects concerning anecdotes of world famous inventors whose efforts were regarded as ludicrous in their own time. Another new series will be the Pals and Pets group of six de\oted entirely to bird and animal life. A series showing comedy favorites of twenty years ago will include six single reels and will be known as the Favorite Moments of Comedy. Six Cinescopes will comprise another new series devoted to novelty and unusual events. Okl series being continued include the 12 Screen Snapshots, 12 World of Sports, 6 Washington Parade and 10 Community Sings. In addition to these subjects the company contemplates a series of shorts made by Mrs. Osa Johnson, which will be sold separately.