Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1942)

May 9, 1942 SHOWMEN'S TRADE R E \' I E W Page 25 The Wild and Woozy West (Amusing) Col. (3704) Phantasies Cartoons No. 4 7 mins. This burlesque of the standard plot of the average blood and thunder Western feature contains a lot of action by the cartoon characters representing the sheriff, the bad man, the Indian, and, of course, the clattering hoofs of the horses. The bad man arrives in the sheriff's office at the same time that all phones are heralding his depredations and the sheriff is promising immediate capture. The bad man, after imposing indignities on the law, escapes and in the chase that follows comes to grief and bandages. Allen Rose and Lou Lilly handled direction and animation respectively. "Dear Mom," and "Deep in the Heart of Texas" are featured. Throughout the reel the audience is asked to divide itself, with the girls singing some lines and the boys others. The popularitj' of the tunes that go to make up the footage should get it across well with the average audience. Ben K. Blake produced and directed. Movie Memories (Very Good) Col. (3859) Screen Snapshots No. 9 9 mins. Ken Murray is assisted by Janet Blair and Kay Harris in this journey into the screen's land of reminiscence. The reel features some shots of the old time film stars in scenes from comedies and features of the long ago. Included in the group are Harold Lloyd, the Mack Sennet Bathing Beauties, Laura LaPlante, Lewis Stone, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Charles Ray, Charlie Chaplin. Jackie Coogan. when he was about four years old. Jack Dempsey. Georges Carpentier, Max Baer. Gentleman Jim Corbett. Knute Rockne, Billie Dove, and ^Mickey Rooney, when he was playing as Mickey (himself) McGuire. Ralph Staub directed. Palm Springs Week-End (Fair) RKO (24,408) Picture People No. 8 8 mins. Arlene Francis describes the action as various stars are depicted vacationing at Palm Springs. Among those who appear briefly are ilichele ^klorgan, Paul Henreid, Lucille Ball, Desi .Arnaz, Peter Lorre, Charles Farrell. Lili Damita. Amos & Andy and several others. The subject is fairly interesting for the rabid movie fans who like to see the stars in any pose at all, but for general audiences it is just fair. Clay Adams directed. How Spry I Am (Good) Col. (3433) All Star Comedies No. 13 18 mins. Featuring Andy Ch^de in one of his usual performances, this rises above average in story continuity and general performance of the young players. Andy is ha\-ing trouble with kids in his hotel when the orphanage burns down and he has a whole gang of them on his hands. An accident brings about the quarantining of the establishment and when it is lifted Andy finds himself confronted with foreclosure. The kids get together and stage a show to raise the funds that lift the mortgage. Jules White directed and Jack White wrote the screen play. India in Crisis (Informative) Deep in the Heart of Texas (Good) Col. (3659) Community Sing No. 9 10 mins. Don Baker opens this, his latest organlogue subject, with an up-to-the-minute parody on "Bicycle Built for Two." Other pooular song hits, including "How Do I Know It's Real." RKO (23,110) March of Time No. 10 19 mins. For the first time. The March of Time is covering a subject so thoroughly it cannot condense all of the material into one issue : therefore, this is the first of two subjects on India — the second will be "India at War." This picture emphasizes the urgency of the situation in that great sprawling country containing one-fifth of the world's population — a country which has never known any rule other than that of despots or the British, yet which still seeks what nebulous freedom it thinks it might obtain through a return of self rule. Some of the obstacles which the British have had to face are depicted in detail. The subject, as a whole, is informative, and should prove a means of disseminating excellent propaganda to counteract those who have raised the cr\ "Independence for India." Wolf Chases Pigs (Amusing) Col. (3754) Fable Cartoon No. 4 7 mins. This timely version of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf shows the foursome in the armed service with all three pigs superior in rank to the wolf. They manage things so that their age-old adversary gets all of the worst duties such as kitchen police, fatigue marches, etc. The time for discharge arrives and when they leave the camp enclosure the trio again become the object of chase by the' wolf with the insatiable appetite for pork. Frank Wickersham produced. Framing Father (Very Funny) RKO (23,705) Leon Errol No. 5 18 mins. Leon's son is in love with a singer in a nightclub. The news gets in the papers, and Mrs. Errol thinks it is about Leon. The latter is angrv and goes to the nightclub. His wife is also there, but she meets the singer and likes her, while Leon gets into plentj of hot water. Xext day. the son fixes up everything on condition that his father give him permission to marry the singer. There are a lot of laughs in this subject. . . NEWSREEL SYNOPSES . . Staub Ahead of Schedule {Released Saturday, May 9) PARAMOUNT (No. 73) — Battle school in England; Buy Coal campaign begins ; Pole vault flyer at Berkeley, CaHf , ; Factory front at Santa Monica, Calif.; Sheep join up at Yakima Valley. Wash. ; Corregidor falls ; Australia's Battle, Sydney. MOVIETONE (Vol. 24, No. 70)— British school of battle teaches commando tactics; Model planes for Navy by Los Angeles boys; Emergency dam project, Douglas Dam, Tenn. ; Rubber tires for war; U. S. Cavalry maneuvers near Mexican border; Secretary Knox on Navy Relief (Los Angeles and San Francisco only) ; Morgenthau and Stimson in joint War Bond appeal (except Los Angeles and San Francisco) ; Buy Coal campaign begins; Bric-a-brac inspires new styles; Girls study fishing technique at Marineland, Fla. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 13, No. 268)— U. S. backs Britain's Madagascar move; Buy Coal campaign begins; Russian army all primed for new spring offensive; Australia's first air-raid victims; British train Tommies to become commandos (except Cincinnati) ; Leathernecks take to air (Cincinnati only); Swim team studies fish technique at Marineland, Fla. ; Aquatic dive-bombers Florida's latest. PATHE (Vol. 13. No. 73)— Buy Coal campaign begins; Australia's first air-raid victims; California holds practice bombing; South Africa prepares as war nears; Jeep and cannon fly to battle at Marine training center; Dump yields defense materials; Battle school toughens Tommies; Boston Bombers used by RAF. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 15. No. 82)— Buy Coal campaign begins: Drive for air cadets; Kiddies give ambulance: Shipyard on west coast wins Government's praise: Depth-charge projectiles in Texas; Navy takes over prison in Los Angeles; Lion is Army unit mascot; Cuba's army prepares; Tin hats go to scrap heap; Miss Posture chosen in New York: Choose car hop queen; England's fighting men; Bombers in England. [Released Wednesday, May 6) PARAMOUNT (No. 72) — Fish for soldiers at Middleboro, Mass.: Airliner crash in Utah; Mayor LaGuardia inaugurates "I Am An American" Day campaign; Capt. Wheless interviewed; Submarine launched at inland shipyard; Four destroyers launched at Kearny, N. J.; Victory Caravan arrives in Boston; Story of the East Coast war front; Shut Out wins Kentucky Derby. MOVIETONE (Vol. 24, No. 69)— Henderson explains price ceilings; Lights of Manhattan blacked out; Four destroyers launched at Kearny, N. J. ; Submarine launched at inland shipyard ; Capt. Wheless interviewed; Rhode Island forest fire; New Jersey woodland fire; House painting in Kansas City (except Seattle); Herring run in Massachusetts; Washington apple blossom fete (Seattle only) ; Shut Out wins Kentucky Derby. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 13, No. 267)— President's story of air battle re-enacted ; Four destroyers launched at Kearny, N. J. ; Submarine launched at inland shipyard; General Marshall reviews American soldiers in Ireland; Henderson explains price ceilings; Blackout over Broadway ; Shut Out wins Kentucky Derby. PATHE (Vol. 13. No. 72) — Four destroyers launched: U. S. registers for sugar rations; Wartime expansion hits Capital; Rhode Island forest fire; Ship arrives at New York to pick up Axis diplomats;" Soldiers somewhere in Ireland get mail from home; USO party held at Mary Pickford's estate; VFW "Vitalize for Victory" parade at Indianapolis (Indianapolis only) ; Shut Out wins Kentucky Derby. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 15. No. 81)— Four destroyers launched; Submarine launched at inland shipyard; Henderson explains price ceilings; Soldiers at Fort Myer, Va., sign up to buy War Bonds; Soldiers somewhere in Ireland get mail from home; City boys do farm work: Washington apple blossom fete; Shut Out wins Kentucky Derby. Ralph Staub {STR. May 2. p. 18) has completed the 1941-42 series of "Screen Snapshots" six weeks ahead of schedule. With the 1942-43 quota increased to 12, Staub starts immediately on preparation of a new series of the Columbia one-reelers. Advertisement jjjjji ii? e. s. Biiii SBWiies eoiis