Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1940)

Page 24 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW August 17, 1940 r Snubbed by a Snob Para. (C9-5) Color Classic No. 5 ICute) 7 mins. Hunky and Spunky, while out strolling, try to strike up a friendship with a couple of aristocratic equines, who have different ideas on the matter. Undaunted, Spunky secretly follows the colt, watches him eat a dozen apples and drink his fill of water. When a ferocious bull appears on the scene, the colt, whose stomach by this time is a liability, is unable to run. Spunky comes to his rescue. In the end, the aristocrats welcome the lowly donkeys in a gay reunion. Audiences should be thoroughly captivated by this Technicolor cartoon directed by Dave Fleischer. Doing Impossikible Stunts f Good J Para. (E9-I0) Popeye No. 10 7 mins. Popeye goes to the movie studio to get a job as stunt man. To sell himself, he shows some views of the stunts he has performed. Sweetpea, however, who has also tagged along, manages to have his own feats also projected, and when it's all over, he gets the contract and the job. Not as good as some Popeyes, yet better than others, this should get by. Dave Fleischer directed. Use the manifold Popeye merchandising tieups in exploiting the cartoon. Unusual Occupations No. 6 (Interesting} Para. {L9-6) Unusual Occupations II mins. Six unusual occupations make up the subject matter in this interesting reel, the most unusual undoubtedly being that concerning the Glendale, Cal., resident who is Admiral of his own radio-controlled battle fleet. Of interest al so is the shortest airline in the world, operating the six miles between Camden, N. J., and Philadelphia postoffices. Tieups with local pet shops, with model boat and train building clubs and with local jewelers are advisable in view of the subjects contained in the reel. FIRST RUN SHORT PRODUCT BROADWAY. NEW YORK (Week Beginning August 17) CAPITOL— A Way in the Wildnerness (MGM) rev. 7-6-40 ; Young America Flies (Vita.) rev. 7-27-40; Little Blabbermouse (Vita.) rev. 8-3-40. GLOBE— The Chewin' Bruin (Vita.) rev. 6-15-40; Action on Ice (20thFox) ; Unveiling Algeria (Col.) rev. 4-20-40. PARAMOUNT— Popular Science No. 1 (Para.) ; Diving Demons (Para.) ; Way Back When a Razzberry Was a Fruit (Para.) rev. this issue. RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL— The Billposters (RKO-Disney) rev. 5-25-40. ROXY— Billy Mouse's Akwakade (20th-Fox) rev. 8-10-40; Vacation Time (20th-Fox) rev. 8-10-40. STRAND— A Bear's Tale (Vita.) ; Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra (Vita.) rev. 6-15-40; Shark Hunting (Vita.) rev. 8-3-40. f Satisfactory J 7 mins. Fightin' Pals Para. (E9-9) Popeye No. 9 This take-off on the Stanley-Livingstone epic shows Popeye in darkest Africa seeking Dr. Bluto. He encounters many humorous adventures before he finally catches up with "Dr. Bluto, I presume." Popeye is a little shocked but a can of spinach revives him. Audiences will find this a satisfactory cartoon. Dave Fleischer directed. Way Back When a Razzberry Was a Fruit (Fair) Para. (B9-8) Stone Age Cartoon No. 8 7 mins. Made up as a cartoonic newsreel of life among the cave dwellers, this shows the stone agers engaged in their various screwball occupations. Parts of it are funny, but as a whole it just fails to click. It should, however, be acceptable filler for any 'program and should be mildly welcomed by audiences. Dave Fleischer directed. A sequence in the cartoon suggests a tieup with the telephone company. NEWSREEL SYNOPSES . (Released Saturday, August 17) PARAMOUNT (No. 101 )— Roosevelt concludes detense checkup; Willkie confers with Elliott Roosevelt, Landon, Hoover, Gen. Johnson and Mary Pickford; Hurricane hits Charleston, S. C; Ambassador Cudahy arrives in U. S.; War aid rally in Brooklyn; W.C.T.U. urges prohibition; French army demobilized; 1939 AllAmerican eleven sees football action Dnce more; Green Bay Packers ready to oppose college stars; Hambletonian harness race. MOVIETONE (Vol. 22, No. 98)— Roosevelt concludes defense checkup; Willkie with E. Roosevelt, Landon, Hoover, Johnson, Pickford; Shrimp fishing fleet blessed; French army demobilized; Retain discusses agriculture; Churchill tours defenses; Italian prisoners at Alexandria; Canadian reinforcements land in England; Fall hat fashions; Lew (hod-carrier) Lehr; Women's western gold tournament; Hambletonian harness race. PATHE (Vol. 11, No. 113)— Hurricane hits Charleston, S. C; Willkie confers with Elliott Roosevelt; French army demobilized; British infantry in sham battle; Ambassador Cudahy comes home; Japanese Admiral visits Philippines; Hambletonian race. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 12, No. 902)— Roosevelt completes defense checkup; Ambassador Cudahy comes home; British ready on land and sea; French army demobilized; Hurrican hits Charleston, S. C; Shrimp fishing fleet blessed; Cavalcade of hair styles; Hambletonian harness race. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 11, No. 296)— England hails RAF heroes; Churchill tours defenses; French army demobilized; Knox bids America prepare; Roosevelt winds up defense tour; Sheep roundup at Mt. Baker, Wash.; Monkeys at Philadelphia Zoo; Bathing belles of the century; Hambletonian harness race. (Released Wednesday, August 14) PARAMOUNT (No. 100)— Mioland wins American Derby; Detroit youngster wins Soap Box Derby; Probe mystery blaze on Norwegian freighter; Roosevelt inspects navy yards; War games in up-state New York; Alien registration drive launched; Louisiana flood ; Windsors visit Bermuda. MOVIETONE (Vol. 22, No. 97)— Roosevelt visits Watertown Arsenal; Hoover confers with Willkie; Norwegian freighter burns and goes aground; Louisiana flood; Forest fire in California; Newest U. S. vessel launched; Windsors visit Bermuda; Mioland wins American Derby; Bobby Riggs wins eastern tennis title; Detroit youngster wins Soap Box Derby; Lew Lehr and California bathing beauties. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 11, No. 295)— War games in up-state New York; Roosevelt views arms production; Louisiana flood; Norwegian freighter afire in N. Y. harbor; Windsors visit Bermuda; Shirley Patterson chosen Miss California 1940; Bobby Riggs wins eastern tennis title; Detroit youngster wins Soap Box Derby. PATHE (Vol. 11, No. 112)— Roosevelt tours key defense bases; War games in up-state New York; Sabotage suspected as Norwegian freighter burns; Alien registration drive launched; Windsors visit Bermuda; Alice Marble, Tommy Riggs win tennis matches (except Atlanta. Charlotte, Memphis, New Orleans, Kansas City and St. Louis) ; Detroit youngster wins Soap Box Derby; Mioland wins American Derby; Ozarks hold White River Carnival (Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis, New Orleans, Kansas City and St. Louis only). UNIVERSAL (Vol. 12, No. 901)— War games in upstate New York; Alien registration drive launched; Windsors visit Bermuda; Shirley Patterson chosen Miss California 1940; New U. S. ship launched; Roosevelt inspects U. S. defenses; Hoover confers with Willkie; Detroit youngster wins Soap Box Derby; Mioland wins American Derby; Tropical storms hit Louisiana and South Carolina. King of the Royal Mounted (Timely & Aetionful) Republic Serial |2 Episodes First Episode, 30 mins.; others, 20 min. each From the outset, this serial promises to deliver maximum thrills and action, plot and counterplot throughout a dozen episodes. The producers have given it a timely quality, using as the background the war between England and Germany. Briefly, a Canadian scientist discovers a substance he calls "Compound X" to be used in the treatment of infantile paralysis. Enemy scientists, however, find that by adding a little; of this and some of that to the substance they can make magnetic mines which will destroy the British fleet. Since the substance can be obtained only in Canada, there naturally have to be foreign agents, traitors, etc., with which the mounties must contend. A raging forest fire is the climax of the first chapter, with the hero apparently burned to a crisp as the chapter ends. The cast, in which some old-timers will be noted, includes Allan Lane, Robert Strange, Robert Kellard, Lita Conway, Herbert Rawlinson, Harry Cording, Bryant Washburn, Budd Buster, Lucien Prival and others. William Witney and John English have directed the serial in their usual keep 'em-m-suspense style. Overprint your announcement on newspapers containing headlines of the current war situaton. The film's scenic background and the colorful mounted police provide material for a coloring contest among local kiddies. Pinky Tomlin and His Orchestra (Entertaining! Para. (A9-I0) Headliner No. 10 II mins. Pinky Tomlin displays the versatility of his musical organization by showing the style of dance rhythms requested by audiences in various sections of the United States. At the same time,_he sings a new comedy song of his own, "I Did It and I'm Glad," and a modern rhythm number, "Eleven-Cent Cotton." His featured vocalist^ Woody Wilson, presents "Say It." The subject has a few novel touches which' make it more than passably entertaining. Arrange tieups on the songs with music shops. Pinky Tomlin's songs might be featured over the local radio station. Dimingo Puts Over Shorts Quiz Stunt in Boston Manager Ben Dimingo of the RKO Keith Memorial, Boston, Mass.; put over a sizzling shorts contest tied in with the feature attraction, "Abe Lincoln in Illinois." Dimingo's lobby-attracting and seat-selling stunt cost the house practically nothing. The Keith Memorial manager took one of RKO Radio's two-column mats designed for newspapers as a Movie Shorts Quiz and spotted it in enlargement form in the lobby. A guest ticket was offered to each person who knew the answers to four questions all centered around as many RKO Radio shorts, a Walt Disney, Sportscope, Information Please and "Siege." An usher stood by with pencil and paper to assist the contestants in getting their answers on paper. During the run of "Abe Lincoln in Illinois," the feature attraction, more than one thousand persons competed, with thirty-five winning an award ticket. At times as many as fifteen persons were gathered around the intriguing display. One of the shorts in the quiz was programmed and one of the stars in the quiz was in the "Abe Lincoln" cast as well as in the cast of a short.