Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1945)

16 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 7, 1945 Studios Woo Nation^s Music Lovers and Increase Popular Interest In the Classics {Continued from Page 15) Mary Garden, was made by Samuel Goldwyn in 1918 at a cost of over $500,000, and lost so badly a contemplated second feature was never made. The same fate was in store for Enrico Caruso's first for Paramount in 1918 entitled, "My Cousin." With the advent of sound, early Vitaphone shorts featured such artists as Giovanni Martinelli, Beniamino Gigli, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Mary Lewis, Reinald Werrenrath, Charles Hackett, Giuseppe De Luca and Marion Talley. Virtually none of these pictures, all one-reelers, were successful. Between 1930 and 1939, however, almost 20 films costing from $500,000 to $1 million each were produced, all dealing with operatic personalities. The first two were Grace Moore's "Lady's Morals," and "New Moon" with Miss Moore and Lawrence Tibbett in 1930 and 1931. Although these elicited little public response, Tibbett was signed for three other such pictures, "Rogue Song," "The Prodigal" and "Cuban Love Song," none of which proved very popular. In 1934, Harry Cohn of Columbia hit the jackpot when he produced "One Night of Love" with Grace Moore, a picture which turned out to be the most popular and best drawing card of any of the operatic films to date. Miss Moore shot into instant stardom in the concert, radio and motion picture fields, as well as getting bigger and better roles in opera. From simply one of the leading sopranos at the Metropolitan she became the top feminine box-office card of the nation in the concert world, a position she has managed to maintain for more than a decade. Her "One Night of Love" made a profit of well over $700,000. Immediately Hollywood decided it had discovered the formula needed to make successful operatic pictures. One film followed another, each using the same story with minor deviations and each going downhill in entertainment value. Miss Moore's next film, "I'll Take Romance," was not up to her first and her succeeding ones did not turn out well. They were "Love Me Forever," "The King Steps Out" and "When You're in Love." In one of these, the quartet from "Rigoletto" was sung by the soprano and 40 male voices. About this time, Lawrence Tibbett made two pictures for 20th-Fox. The first, "Metropolitan," was fair, the second proved disappointing. Lily Pons was the next singing star to be signed and she made three for RKO ; "I Dream Too Much," MELCHIOR SINGS. Lauritz Melchior. Metropolitan Opera star, has a featured role and sings a number of songs in MGM's "Thrill of a Romance," in which Van Johnson and Esther Williams are co-starred. Besides the Melchior bid for lovers of good music, there is also Tommy Dorsey with his band for the teen-age jivesters. which showed a $200,000 profit second only to "One Night of Love," "That Girl from Paris," and "Hitting a New High." The coloratura's film career was shortlived by mediocre stories. Next came Nino Martini who appeared in several pictures for Jesse L. Lasky, all released through 20th-Fox. In one, Ernestine Schumann-Heink appeared in a bit, and won considerable acclaim at the age of 75 for her acting and singing. She died, however, before she could be capitalized any further. Martini's "Music for Madame" was unsuccessful, and "The Gay Desperado" failed to break even at the boxofiice. Gladys Swarthout also made five films, one of these being "Give Us This Night," with Jan Kiepura. Her others were "Rose of the Rancho," "Champagne Waltz," "Romance in the Dark," and "Ambush." In the latter film she was not called on to sing, playing instead a straight dramatic role. ■Other celebrities of the past decade used in films include Jascha Heifetz, whose film for Goldwyn failed; Militza Korjus, who appeared first in MGM's "Great Waltz" in 1938; Ilona Massey, first seen in "Balalaika," with Nelson Eddy, in 1939; Charles Kullman and Helen Jepson who appeared in Goldwyn's "Follies," and James Melton, who made several for Warners. The most popular films dealing with music to come from Hollywood were those made by MGM, which starred Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. These were followed by films of Deanna Durbin, and more recently Kathryn Grayson and Susanne Foster. The pictures used occasional arias, light opera and operetta themes and were definitely box-office. Both Eddy and Miss MacDonald were catapulted into instantaneous prominence at the nation's concert halls and Eddy has reigned supreme for almost a decade as the biggest concert draw of the country. The answer to the question of whether or not pictures utilizing classical music can be successful seems to come back to the Rodgers statement : "No one can make a bad picture •better or make the public attend it. But a good picture, no matter what its theme, can be made bigger and better box-office." If the story and peculiar abilities of the singing or instrumental stars are sufficient to make a good picture, one that is entertainment, the public will go, regardless of whether the film has classical music or not. But all the King's horses and all the King's men cannot drag in the reluctant patron when the film is not good entertainment, regardless of the personality in it or the music featured. 'Every 2 Seconds,' Hospital Film, Has Press Premiere in New York A press premiere of "Every 2 Seconds," a documentary film depicting the life story of a community hospital's establishment and increased service to the community, was held recently in New York, with over 75 representatives of the film trade press, newspapers and national health magazines in attendance. The 10-minute short subject, produced by .\ssociated Filmakers, New York, for the American Hospital Association's Hospital Service Plan Commission, concerns the efforts of a community to establish a hospital, and to maintain the costs of its patients' care once the institution has been built. This is accomplished by the budgeting of hospital bills through a non-profit voluntary prepayment plan sponsored by the community, the hospital and the doctors. Thus people begin using the hospital with free minds, entering it sooner and getting well faster. "Every 2 Seconds" is available without charge through the Commission, 18 E. Division Street, Chicago 10, Illinois. HERE'S A DUCAT FOR YOU! After the gallant Marines chased the Nips into sandy graves on a certain Pacific island they got busy and built a theatre which they named "The Iwo Jima Follies Theatre." (We can't tell you where it's located but we can guess.) Last week STR received a letter from Jack Boyd, Pfc. USMCR, director of publicity for the new house (no architectural data supplied) and quoting from his note: "Enclosed please find a pair of ducats to our theatre. If you ever have the opportunity of dropping out this way you are welcome to the courtesy of the house." While the boys at STR were very grateful for Boyd's thoughtfulness, there is little prospect at the moment (due to transportation difficulties) of using them. Since we cannot find the line, "Not Transferrable" on the Annie Oakleys we are reproducing one in case some of our readers might be out that way. George Sand Memorial Talent Search Won by New York Girl Twenty-two-year-old Barbara Whitmore of New York is the winner of Columbia Pictures' countrywide George Sand Memorial Talent Search. She won over 8700 contestants in 32 of the nation's leading cities from coast to coast. ■ Five feet, five inches tall. Miss Whitmore weighs 117 pounds, has dark brown hair and hazel eyes, and studied dramatics at Fresno State University in California before coming to New York. Columbia's search for the country's outstanding young amateur actress (the age group was 18-25) was conducted in key cities throughout the nation in conjuiiction with the presentation of the studio's Technicolor picture, "A Song to Remember." The contest was conducted through intensive theatre, radio, newspaper and department store cooperation. Finalists were judged at the "21 Club" by photographs and a recorded reading, by each, of Merle Oberon's famous "Human Jungle" speech in the picture. 'Dorian Gray' Gets Well-Planned, Productive Campaign in Harrisburg A well-planned and productive campaign preceded the showing of MGM's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in Harrisburg, and several phases of the exploitation continued during the run. Among items distributed were gag diaries ("What I Know About Dorian Gray"), handkerchiefs, blotters, heralds, bookmarks. Eugene E. Miller, high school principal, discussed the picture over a local radio station, and it was also used as the basis for a sermon at Temple Beth El. Local musicians featured the song. Little Yellow Bird, usherettes in Dorian Gray costumes paraded through the streets, an exclusive hat shop created a Dorian Gray Hat, and a photographic studio cooperated in plugging the film. Newspaper and radio budgets were expanded and several advertising stunts arranged in local dailies. — HA.