Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1939)

Page 16 S H O \V M E N ' S T R A D E REVIEW October 14. 1939 IN THE Columbia "The Glove Slingers," Noah Beery, Jr.'s first Columbia comedy, was completed last week and will be expedited through the cutting and editing stages with a view toward early preview and national release. Possibly the first of a series, "The Glove Slingers" presents young Beery as a prizefighter. Shemp Howard is his manager and Paul Hurst the trainer. Dorothy Vaughan, Betty Campbell, Eddie Laughton, Cy Schindell, Johnny Tyrrell, Victor Travers and Richard Fiske play other important roles, and Jules White both produced and directed. A lastminute addition to the outstanding cast was Mushy Callahan, former lightweight champion of the world. Callahan, now a prominent referee, officiates in the climaxing bout between Beery and Schindell. and uncast, the production will be directed by Del Lord. Hugh McCollum will cosupervise with the director. Three important new story assignments emanated from the Short Subjects department during the past week. John Grey was commissioned to develop a new script for Charlie Chase which will have a mysterious haunted house as its background. Harry Edwards began work on an All-Star Comedy of domestic mixups, and Ellwood Ullman, some of whose best work has been for the Three Stooges, began to ready a story in which the trio will be international spies. Oct. 30 has been fixed as the starting date for a new Charlie Chase comedy being prepared by Harry Edwards and Ellwood Ullman. The theme, one made to order for Chase, presents the comedian as a heckler, not the ordinary or living room variety of kibitzer but a demoniacal super-meddler who makes a colossal nuisance of himself in large public gatherings. As yet untitled The King Sisters, well remembered for the Community Sings they headlined several months ago, will return to the camera coast in the near future and are expected to vocalize in more of these popular one-reel song shorts. The first will probably have a western theme, with the four sisters wearing cowgirl regalia and rejidering well-beloved range numbers. During recent months the girls have appeared on several coast-tocoast radio shows and made personal appearances in eastern theatres. Vitaphone Preparations are being rushed for producing seven historical featurets in Technicolor during the next three months. Next picture in the group to go before the cameras will 1)6 "Old Hickory" the story of Andrew Jackson, which goes into work on October 16 under direction of Vincent Sherman. Others to follow will be: "Clara Barton and the Red Cross" based upon the founder of this famous organization ; 'Fremont, the Pathfinder" dealing with the great explorer; "Robert E. Lee" concerning the famous Civil War leader; "Daniel Boone" regarding the noted Indian fighter; "The Discovery of America" tale of Christopher Columbus; and "Teddy Roosevelt and His Rough Riders" with Sidney Blackmer. "Wise Guy," short subject, is being planned for late fall production. It will be based upon a sketch entitled "Poor Aubrey," by Anthony Paul Kelly. RKO Clarence Budington Kelland, the novelist and magazine fictionist, will be the guest star in the third of Pathe's "Information Please" series of thirteen one-reel features. It was set to go before the cameras on October 13, with the regular cast of Clifton Fadiman, Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran and Oscar Levant. Kelland is expected to chalk up a good score of the right answers, even in competition with the erudition of the popular experts. . . NEWSREEL SYNOPSES . . (Released Saturday, October 14) MOVIETONE (Vol. 22, No. 10)— Panama Canal under guard; Scenes from England and other European countries on war situation: European names in the news; Rodeo at Madison Square Garden; Log drive in Maine; Futurity at Belmont; Girls' football game in Hollywood; Yacht racing; Lew Lehr and lions. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol H, No. 206)— Panama Canal under guard; Britain rushes troops to front; Iroquois arrives in U. S. ; Hat fashions get war fever; Football. Carnegie Tech. vs. Temple (except Los Angeles and Seattle); Southern California vs. Washington State (Los Angeles and Seattle only) ; Hell driver performs daring stunts. PATHE (Vol. 11, No. 25)— U. S. bolsters Panama Canal defenses; ISritish troops in France; French troops on German soil; Kids' football game; Iroquois arrives safely; Ambassadors Bullitt and Biddle meet in France; Happy Chandler becomes Senator; Football, Cornell vs. Syracuse. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 11, No. 814)— Panama Canal under guard; Iroquois arrives safely; Veiled prophets parade; Scenes from the war front; Belmont Futurity; Kids' football game; Motorcycle hill climb. PARAMOUNT (No. 13) — Iroquois arrives safely; Hoover sees re-birth of Polish nation; Britain, France dig in, spurning "Hitler Peace"; U. S. rushes defense of Parama Canal. (Released Wednesday, October 11) PARAMOUNT (No. 12)— Yanks win World Series; Minneapolis Gold Star Mothers drop peace pamphlets; Pan-American Conference adjourns; Football. Michigan vs, Michigan State, Northwestern vs. Oklahoma, Fordham vs. Alabama. MOVIETONE (Vol. 22. No. 9)— War on the East and Western fronts; Rites for Cardinal Mundelein; Premiere of "Hollywood Cavalcade"; Lew Lehr and geese; Yanks win World Series; Football, Yale vs. Columbia, Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 11, No. 207)— Rumania avenges slain Premier: Nazi troops "mop up" Polish cities; French advance on Western front; Rites for Cardinal Mundelein; Yanks win World Series; Football, Fordham vs. Alabama, Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech (except New Haven and Oklahoma City). Oklahoma vs. Northwestern (Oklahoma City and Chicago only), Yale vs. Columbia. PATHE (Vol. 11, No. 24) — Polish prisoners; Funeral of Rumanian Premier: New Polish Government formed in Paris; Belgium arms; French army moves onto German soil; Rites for Cardinal Mundelein; PanAmerican Peace Congress ends ; Football, Yale vs. Columbia, St. Mary's vs. University of California; Yanks win World Series. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 11, No. 813)— French guns pound Nazi lines; Rites for Cardinal Mundelein; Yanks win World Series; Football, Alabama vs. Fordham, Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech, Oklahoma vs. Northwestern, FIRST RUN SHORT PRODUCT BROADWAY, NEW YORK (Week Beginning October 14) ASTOR— Prophet Without Honor (MOM) rev. 6-17-39. CAPITOL — Natural Wonders of Washington .State (MGM): A Day of Rest (MGM). CRITERION~Bov Meets Joy (Univ.) rev. 9-2-39; Little Brother Rat (Vita.) rev. 819-39; Air Thrills (Modern Films). GLOBE— Oilv to Bed, Oily to Rise (Col.) rev. 9-16-39. PARAMOUNT— The Fresh Vegetable Mystery (Para.) ; Unusual Occupations No. 1 (Para.) rev. this issue; Catching Whoppers (Para.) rev. 9-23-39 RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL— The Bill of Rights (Vita.) rev. 8-26-39; Battle Fleets of Enfrland (RKO-M of T) rev. 10-7-39. RIALTO— Farmyard Symphony (RKO-Disnev) rev. 10-22-38. RIVOLI— Acres of Plenty (RKG-Pathe) ; Donald's Penguin (RKO-Disney) rev. ,S-20-39. ROXY— The Orphan Duck (20th-Fox) rev. this issue; Monkeys is the Cwaziest People (20th-Fox) rev. 9-30-39. STRAND — Detouring America (Vita.) rev. 9-2-39; Ice Frolics (Vita.) rev. 9-30-39. CHICAGO LOOP (Week Ending October 14) APOLLO — Catching Whoppers (Para.) rev. 9-23-39; The Little Lion Hunter (Vita.) ROOSEVELT— Rumba Rhythm (MGM) rev. 9-2-39; The Orphan Duck (20th-Fox) rev. this issue. UNITED ARTISTS — Unseen. Guardians (MGM) rev. 10-7-39. Para, to Release Series Based on Liberty Stories A series of short subjects featuring short short stories appearing in Liberty magazine and to be known as the Bits of Life series are to be produced by Scientific Films for release through Paramount, Jerry Fairbanks, co-producer with Robert Carlisle of Scientific Films, told trade paper representatives this week in announcing the arrangements made between his company and the Macfadden publication According to Lou Diamond, head of Paramount's short subject Jerry Franklin department, the first subject, scheduled for release November 7 as one of the current season's Paragraphics, will be a test for audience reaction. Dependent on this will be the number to be released under the Bits of Life series classification for Paramount's 1940-41 short subject program. Each reel, running about ten minutes, will embrace two complete short short stories, Fairbanks said. He added that production would be in Hollywood, and that many players now on the Paramount roster would be featured in the acting assignments. Liberty magazine will publicize the new series in their publication and other merchandising channels. Car Cards Plug Sportscope A tieup between RKO-Pathe and the publishers of Field and Stream, magazine for sportsmen, provides for the placing of cards plugging the Sportscope, "Gun Play" and the magazine, in the New York, NewHaven and Hartford trains and the Boston and Maine trains for 30 days starting September 1.^.