Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1940)

February 17, 1940 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 17 VATICAN OF PIUS XII Prod. No. 3]07 Box Office RKORadio March of Time No. 7 18 mins. Comment: This latest March of Time, showing the inside and the workings of the Holy City is most unusual ; it penetrates the subject deeply. Because of the intense interest of millions of Catholics in the country and a hardly less lively curiosity on the part of those of other faiths in the Vatican and the Pope, it should draw well at the box office. The picture treats the Vatican with the proper reverence and dignity, yet gives an impression that it is quite revealing. It is up to date, showing Myron Taylor's appointment as President Roosevelt's envoy. Exploitation: Every Catholic priest in town as well as all other ecclesiastics should be notified of your showing. Letters can be sent to the Knights of Columbus membership. Catholic Daughters of America and similar organizations, urging attendance at the theatre when this subject is playing. MECHANIX ILLUSTRATED No. 3 Prod. No. 5405 Interesting WB Color Parade No. 5 10 mins. Comment: A good number. Four subjects are shown — a chemical substance which resembles silk and can be manufactured as wearing apparel substitute for silk; a demonstration of "cold light" obtained by chemical process ; salmon fishing and canning in Alaska, and the method used to animate electric sign figures. Exploitation: The silk process material is demonstrated as a coiffure dressing on a model, so you might make a beauty shop tieup for display on that item of the subject. MIGHTY HUNTERS Prod. No. 5311 (Tech.) Pleasing WB Merrie Melody No. 11 7 mins. Comment: Here is something the majority will find cute and a reel that should have some box office value, since the cartoon is based on the Canyon Kiddies subjects which appear in Good Housekeeping magazine. Particular beauty is achieved in the Technicolor photography, the backgrounds by James Swinnerton, creator of the Canyon Kiddies, being painted in oils instead of water color generally used for this work. There is a depth and luminous quality to the scenes which makes them notable, and the adventures of the babies who play the wild and woolly Indians are fetchingly amusing. Exploitation: Play up the line "the Canyon Kiddies come to life." Newsstand tieups should be sought and a drawing or cartoon contest in tieup with your newspaper or for lobby display should be used. Possibly the drawing class in the local school will be the best point of contact for this latter idea. BULLETS AND BALLADS Prod. No. 4226 Good Univ. Musical No. 6 18 mins. Comment: Armida is the star and does a song and dance number in the good old Spanish custom. A chorus group, doing some precision dancing, Marilyn Kay, six-year-old tap dancing prodigy, a vocal octette called the Texas Rangers, Ken Stevens, singer, and comedy dancers Joe and Lou Caits round out a number that will do nicely for the average program headed by a drama. Exploitation: Feature Armida as stage star and vaudeville headliner. DRUMS OF FU MANCHU Rep. Serial 15 Chaps. Swell First Chap., 30 mins.; Others, 20 mins. Comment: In the vernacular of the youngsters, this is a swell serial. The first chapter starts off with a bang, with the diabolical Fu Manchu stopping at nothing in his determination to be master of Asia. There are thrills and excitement aplenty ; goodness only knows what the other fourteen chapters hold. William Witney and John English, the directors, keep things moving swiftly. Hiram S. Brown, Jr. was associate producer. Exploitation: Get out heralds to all children by having your distribution take place at the schools at lunch or dismissal periods. Twofor-one tickets might be issued as inducements for the public to attend the first chapter. GYPSY SONGS Prod. No. 1655 Very Good Col. Community Sing No. 5 10 mins. Comment: Donald Grayson and a troupe of Balalaika singers lustily vocalize several old gypsy songs, including "Two Guitars," "The Gay Merchant," "Dark Eyes," "Volga Boatman" and "Abdul A-Bul-Bul Amir." The audience is invited to join in, and willing enough should they be to do so, for these are the songs of which many have heard the music, but never sang the words. The subject was produced by Hugh McCollum and directed by Del Lord. Exploitation: Tie up with music shops on the numbers featured. Perhaps copies of the sheet music could be placed on sale in the lobby for those who wish to buy them. Likewise, recordings of the songs might also be made available. INFORMATION PLEASE NO. 6 Prod. No. 4206 Very Good RKO-Pathe Information Please 10 mins. Comment: Guest expert Gene Tunney aids Kieran, Adams and Levant in answering some perplexing questions. Tunney, as might be expected, is well versed in answers dealing with the prize ring. Adams answers several questions by ciuoting stanzas of famous poems. Your patrons will chuckle at the witty remarks of the experts. Frederic Ullman, Jr., produced and Frank R. Donovan supervised. Exploitation: Contact your Canada Dry dealers for tieups. Try to get an announcement on the air either preceding or following the "Information Please" broadcast. The newspaper might conduct a quiz concerning fistic highlights in the career of Gene Tunney. NOTHING BUT PLEASURE Prod. No. 1428 Col. All Star No. 8 Amusing 18 mins. Comment: In his usual inimitable style. Buster Keaton will keep audiences in a laughing mood with his antics in this comedy. The deadpan comedian takes his wife on a pleasure trip, tries to show her how they can save money, succeeds in exhausting the financial reserve. One of the comedy's highlights is Buster's effort to return to her own bungalow a drunken woman who has wandered into his own when his wife is out. Jules White produced and directed. Exploitation: Notify the Keaton fans of your booking. The title suggests tieups with merchants on merchandise that gives the owner "nothing but pleasure." TEDDY, THE ROUGH RIDER Prod. No. 5004 (Tech.) Excellent WB Historical Featuret No. 4 19 mins. Comment: The splendidly and sincerely produced historical shorts hit a new high in this excellent picturization of highlights in the career of Theodore Roosevelt. Compressing many important historical events into a brief span of time, the picture shows the young T. R. as police commissioner in New York, smashing graft and bringing the police force up to the highest standards ; as assistant secretary of the Navy under McKinley; his handling of the events following the sinking of the Maine; his organization of the Rough Riders ; and his assumption of the Presidency on the death of McKinley. It makes a stirring saga of a most colorful statesman, and the impersonation of T.R. by Sidney Blackmer is outstanding. Fine acting is the rule, and there is excellent direction by Ray Enright of a well written script, which employs the off-screen narrator to bridge the gaps between the memorable highlights of history presented. Exploitation: This is worthy of a big campaign in advance. Schools, newspapers, local civic leaders and libraries should be tied into the activities to arouse interest in this excellent subject. VACATION DIARY Prod. No. 4606 Exhilarating RKO-Pathe Reelism No. 6 10 mins. Comment: Betty and Pat, two of the thousands of New York stenographers, abandon their typewriters for a cruise to Bermuda. A cameraman goes along to record the high spots of their vacation — a visit at historical sites, dinner near the surf, bicycle rides, a swim with handsome male escorts, moonlight sailing and all the other activities that make a trip to a tropical paradise memorable. The photography is beautiful and the subject exhilarating, especially for those whose only opportunity to "see the world" is from a theatre chair. It suggests a new departure in the production of short reels of the traveltalk type. Louise Rousseau directed under the supervision of Frank R. Donovan and the producership of Frederic Ullman, Jr. Exploitation: Besides a tieup with travel agencies, the subject also provides you with a chance to get the cooperation of women's shops in promoting attire suitable for wear on a tropical vacation. With a trip to Bermuda as the prize, a contest among young women for the best sketches of vacation ensembles might be conducted via the newspaper. DOUBLE OR NOTHING Prod. No. 5107 Amusing WB Broadway Brevity No. 7 20 mins. Comment: The subject opens in a Hollywood studio with the director spotting in double to take a sock on the jaw for the tenor hero. This leads into scenes in which mimics of IMae West, Joe E. Brown, Zazu Pitts, Charles Laughton, Deanna Durbin, Eddie Cantor, Bing Crosby, Hugh Herbert and Greta Garbo burlesque those stars. Lee Dixon works smoothhas the main comedy feature, and the offering should make a hit with the regular movie fans. Roy Mack directed. Exploitation: Use gag billing, either for lobby panel or throwaway reading: "see in one picture Greta Garbo, Deanna Durbin, etc. (listing all stars named above) impersonated by their doubles."