Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1941)

Page 28 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 4, 1941 Reviews Of Current Short Subjects Community Sing No. 2 (As Usual) Col. (3652) 10 mins. * 1940-41 Program With Lew White at the Organ, assisted vocally by the Song Spinners, this is a standard release in the Community Sing series. There is nothing to see on the screen but the words of songs and some background animation. It would seem difficult to get an audience to sing songs with which it is not familiar, a fact common to most of those in this reel with the conspicuous exception of "My Blue Heaven," the last number. When the series was inaugurated, these subjects were much better as there was a master of ceremonies who talked to the audience and got it in the mood to sing. Ben K. Blake produced. Huntley's activities as a ham radio operator, Margaret Lindsay and Marian Marsh doing Red Cross work, Anne Shirley and James Craig collecting aluminum and Joan Carroll buying defense stamps. The subject ends with a demonstration by Victor McLaglen's horse cavalry and motor corps. Frederic Ullman, Jr. produced. 12 mins. 'fM Man-I-Cured (Funny) RKO (23,701) Leon Errol No. 1 20 mins. Leon Errol, not wishing to see his nephew married to a manicurist, goes to the hotel in another city where she works and there finds another manicurist to whom he had made promises in the past. Her boy friend, the house detective, Leon's wife, his nephew and the manicurist the latter intends to wed, introduce added complications which threaten Leon on all sides. This picture has plenty of laughs in it and should put an audience in a good mood for the feature to follow. Bert Gilroy produced and Harry D'Arcy directed. Stars in Defense (Interesting) RKO (24,401) Picture People No. 1 8 mins. With Helen Broderick as commentator, this subject shows the activities in which several of the stars have been engaging on behalf of defense. Most of the footage is taken up by an aluminum party given by Sigrid Gurie, with the Jimmy Gleasons, Rochelle Hudson and Arline Judge attending. Then there are sequences in Reginald Denny's model plane factory, G. P. From Nuts to Soup Col. (3972) Cinescope No. 2 This is a silly demonstration by Prof. Russell E. Oakes of a bunch of contraptions he has invented having to do with eating. In order to point out to the audience when to laugh there is a cuckoo sound after each demonstration, which may not have the desired effect at all. For those who go for the extreme in silliness this subject may prove entertaining. Some of the items are those to enable eating of soup without noise, a guard to prevent your sleeve from getting in the butter, how to convey peas safely on a knife, a pie-pinching machine to save crust and a sleep-inducer. Old MacDonald Duck' RKO (14,110) 1 1 e $ 0 1 mm WSm \J . . NEWSREEL SYNOPSES . . V V 1 ft Pampas Paddock (For Horse Lovers) RKO (24,301) Sportscope No. 1 9 mins. Filmed in Argentina and Chile, this subject shows how important the race-track is in South America. The picture depicts the training of horses and shows off some of the finest specimens of stallions. It will be interesting chiefly to horse lovers — others will consider it rather mild fare. Frederic Ullman, Jr. produced. Screen Snapshots No. 1 (Poor) Col. (3851) (Good) 9 mins. Ken Murray, assisted by the Brewster Twins, acts as Master of Ceremonies at a party in which all the guests are attired in bathing costumes of the Gay Nineties. Among those who perform are the Andrews Sisters, Milton Berle on a clarinet, Billy Gilbert, Joan Davis, Ella Logan, Brenda Joyce, Ann Miller, Kay Harris, Simone Simon, Buster Keaton and others. This subject and the series as a whole is better than most Hollywood reels because the commentator does not do all the talking — in other words, the stars are shown with sound effects. Ralph Staub directed. Buenos Aires Today (Excellent) Co1 <3552) Tour No 2 Disney Cartoon No. 10 8 mins. Donald Duck, a farmer, goes about his chores feeling very happy. Keeping time with his song, he starts to milk his favorite cow when a fly interferes with this procedure. Donald gets into some hilariously funny situations before he succeeds in routing the fly, only to have it return to the attack, via the cow, with the result that Donald lands hanging in the harness on the barn door. This is a typical Walt Disney with plenty of laughs in it — a sure-fire hit on any program. (Good) 10 mins. Here's a subject which confines itself to modern Buenos Aires, showing the bustling city, its streets and people. Such interesting details as traffic mirrors at dangerous intersections and the modern subway in the city should be highly informative for those Americans who have no idea of how cosmopolitan a city Buenos Aires is and whose ideas of Argentina and its metropolis consist chiefly of thought about beautiful, care-free women and fine race horses. This picture shows that Buenos Aires is a fine city, up to date in every particular. The photography might have been a bit better in spots, however. Half Shot at Sunrise (Slapstick) (Released Saturday, October 4) PARAMOUNT (No. 11)— Goodwill ceremonies at Blaine, Wash. ; American seamen rescued at Reykjavik, Iceland; Baby hippopotamus at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo; Mystery ships rushed at Orange, Texas; Aquarium closes; Paratroops attack in Louisiana war games; World Series. MOVIETONE (Vol. 24. No. 8)— World Series; Paratroops attack in Louisiana war games; N. Y. and Hollywood premieres of "A Yank in the RAF"; Cherokee Dam in Tennessee Valley near completion; Cotton-picking contest in Arkansas; Choose Indiana corn queen at Fowler; Lace fashions; Daredevil airplane "crasher." PATHE (Vol. 13, No. 11)— World Series; First Lady in new defense job; New mahogany airplane passes test; N. Y. Aquarium closes; Paratroops attack in Louisiana war games. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 14, No. 20) — Paratroops attack in Louisiana war games; New height finder at Rochester, N. Y.; Flying cadets graduate at Brooks Field, Texas; Cavalry graduates at Fort Riley, Kan.; McPhail and young Willkie in Navy; American seamen rescued at Reykjavik, Iceland; Two destroyers launched at Boston; Women do spade work in New England; Goodwill ceremoniels at Blaine, Wash. ; cotton-picking contest in Arkansas; World Series. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 13, No. 206)— World Series; Paratroops attack in Louisiana war games; British tanks for Russian Front; First lady takes up defense job; Pennsylvania's Governor James weds (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh only); Cotton-picking contest in Arkansas (Atlanta, Memphis and New Orleans only) ; Mr. America of 1941 ; Baby hippopotamus in Chicago. (Released Wednesday, October 1) PARAMOUNT (No. 10)— Liberty Fleet Day at Fairfax, Md., Long Beach, Calif., Chester, Pa., Wilmington, Del., Kearny, N. J.; Martin bomber at Baltimore; Windsors on way to Canada stop in Washington and Chicago; Russian-British troops united in Iran; Harriman and Lord Beaverbrook meet in London; British dedicate week's tank supply to Russia; Football: Michi gan vs. Michigan State; Louis-Nova fight analyzed; Brooklynites hail "them bums." MOVIETONE (Vol. 24, No. 7)— U. S. launches 14 merchant ships on Liberty Fleet Day; King George reviews armored units; British bomber named for Halifax family; King Peter of Yugoslavia honored in London; RAF rescue floats help flyers; Windsors in Washington ; Women's Defense Corps at Gloucester, Mass.; Martin bomber at Baltimore; Brooklynites hail "them bums"; Football: Notre Dame vs. Arizona (except Seattle, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Portland, Ore., New Orleans and Boston) ; Minnesota vs. Washington (Seattle and Minneapolis only); Stanford vs. Oregon (San Francisco and Portland only) ; Tulane vs. Boston College (New Orleans and Bolston only). NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 13, No. 205)— Hurricane hits Texas Gulf Coast; British tanks for Russia; Soviets down Nazi planes; Windsors in Washington; Women's Defense Corps at Gloucester, Mass. ; U. S. launches 14 merchant ships on Liberty Fleet Day; Football: Stanford vs. Oregon (except Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kan'sas City, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Portland, St. Louis and Seattle) ; Minnesota vs. Washington (Minneapolis, Seattle and Portland only); Ohio vs. Missouri (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kan(Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle only) ; Tulane vs. sas City and St. Louis only) ; Trojans vs. Beavers Boston (Boston and New Orleans only) ; Market Wise wins at Belmont; Brooklyn welcomes the Dodger's. PATHE (Vol. 13, No. 10) — Huge Liberty Fleet is launched ; Windsors in Washington ; British and Russians occupy Iran; Martin bomber at Baltimore; National Newspaper Week honors press; Brooklyn hails the Dodgers (except Boston); Football: Stanford vs. Oregon; Tulane vs. Boston (except Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland; New York welcomes Dodgers home (New York only) ; Women's Defense Corps at Gloucester, Mass. (Boston only). UNIVERSAL (Vol. 14, No. 19) — Huge Liberty Fleet is launched; Tank production in England; War in Russia; Martin bomber at Baltimore; Hurricane lashes Texas coast; Nova meets Louis socially; Football, Notre Dame vs. Arizona; Boston vs. Tulane; Minnesota vs. Washington. Col. (3422) All Star Comedy No. 2 16 mins. Roscoe Karns, familiar to most audiences because of his work in the features, is the star of this subject. The first half of it is devoted to Karns' successful effort to break up a party at the home of friends through his practical jokes. The second half, after his wife has left him as a result, sees him and his son at a movie theatre disturbing the audience to such an extent that they are pitched out of the house. Discriminating audiences will find this silly, but those who like slapstick will get a laugh out of it. There are probably many of the latter, judging from the success of slapstick comedies in the past. Del Lord and Hugh McCollum produced, and Lord directed. A Letter From Home (Excellent) United Artists 17 mins. A tremendously touching short picture, more dramatic, even tragic, in its implications than in what it actually shows as two English youngsters, sent for safety away from a town incessantly bombed from the air, receive a letter from their mother which letter is illustrated by action. This is no strident preachment in the form of words introduced either as dialog or subtitle. It just shows two fine youngsters being put to bed in their new home, and then scenes of the mother, bravely keeping her own home fires burning while her husband is at sea with the Navy. Scenes of buying provisions under the rationing system, the thunder of bombs from the sky and anti-aircraft, makes a veritable gem of fine direction and touching screen drama as developed by Director Carol Reed.