Variety (Sep 1932)

12 VARIETY PIC TUBE S: Tuesday, September 20/1932 PuUix Ad Reels in Minor Spots Loophole in Hays Ban on Screen Plugs Greater impetus for advertising via the theatre screen avIII accrue . under Publix's new contract with Theatre Service Cor pi, for wide ex- hibition this year of that company's 'Screen Broadcasts,' a type of ad film' that has evolved from the use of Jocal slides by merchants. During the past year Publix has used TSC's 'Screen Broadcasts' in smaller: houses as a, more modern way of providing advertising privi- leges for local merchants, hotels, stores, etc. Since then, with re- newal contract up with TSC, Publix has decided that it will give much . greater attention and extended ex- hibition to these films. - Out of the" local slide proposition for TSC during the past year has grown the possibility of greatly in- creased revenue by support from national- advertisers; with subse- quent ■ tie-ups. locally with mer- chants handling whatever national product is advertised. • Thus, Publix is moving closely -back' in the direction of commer- cial films as produced by Para- • mount Itself a Couple of years ago and- then killed throughout the in- dustry. Indications that' the; chain "this season'will go In stronger for the type of ad films provided by TSC, an independent producing* promotional concern, has already aroused , the. newspaper publishers, from account. It was generally agreed that newspaper resentment had killed off commercial film in theatres two years back. Not on Broadway—At First New product of TSC will not be played In the Broadway or other big first run houses of Publix just yet, it is said, but that may come later. Films are in Technicolor and carry a musical accompaniment, sound on film. • National accounts so far include Borden's Milk, Dorothy Arden cos- metics and General Electric, dis- tributors of Frlgidalre and other products which carry local dealers in most all towns haying a chain theatre. TSC, headed by William Johnson, now in New Orleans on an adver;- tlsing tie-up deal, makes the con- tract .with the advertiser, whether local or. national. Film is then pro vlded the theatre by TSC, with Pub lix under its exhibition- contract with TSC, deriving a- percentage of the revenue. TSC makes up stock shots on com modities, unless something special like Frlgidalre is called for, and then ties up the advertiser. If it's coal, for instance, with uses- and comforts, of that commodity brought ou( in the reel, the advertising added is in the way of an Insert title for the local merchant, 'Buy your coal from Redhot Coal Co;,' etc. Managers' Instructions During the past week Publix has issued new instructions to man- agers coincident with its desire to derive increased revenue from the TSC films. It dwells on the neces- sity of Publix manager co-opera- tion with TSC representatives on local tieups and in other ways, de mands display of the ad films as an integral part of the theatre pro gram at every regular performance, and, among other things, says: 'Publix has decided, after a careful (Continued on page 44) KANSAS CITY (Continued from page 9) $4,500. East week 'Passport to Hell' (Fox) $4,400. : , Loew's Midland (Loew) (4,000; 25-50)—'Grand Hotel' (M-G). After dragging through the past several weeks with hardly enough customers to pay for the lights,- house has changed its prices for the winter to 50 cents top, is giving ah exclusive showing of -'Grand Hotel' and trade is flowing , back in a stfeaim Pros- pects for a . real week's business, at $25,000. Last week 'Robinson Cru.- soe' (UA) fell away last half, %li L 9W> poor. Mainstreet (RKO) (3.200;. 25-36- 0)— 'Congorllla* (Fox).- and unit. Gave this, one same circus publicity given 'Bring 'Em-Back,' but added _ much stronger stage.' shoiy; will get close to |i9,000, big. Last week Okay America'. (U) $23,00.0, with Tex Guinan on stage. Newman (Ptslix-Dubih'sky, Broth- ers) (1,860; 25-35-50)—'Successful Calamity' (WB). Not enough Ar- liss admirers here to £lve. this one much;. $7,500 moderate. Last week; Doctor X* (FN). $6,000.. lalto. Big and Perks; ikbf Near $19,000; 'Shark' Oke, $17,000 Baltimore, Sept. 19. ' Business is bustling, each week seeing the figures on the gross- sheets climbing higher. The sheets will show some nifty jumps cur- rently, particularly at the run houses, where the hotter.new prod- uct Is corralling the coin. This goes double in the. case of 'Grand Hotel' at the Stanley for its popular price run, and for 'Horse Feathers' at the Keith's, making it the second money-making week for that house. It's the anniversary, No. 1, at the vaudfllm Hippodrome, but there's little excitement In the business. This is due in large measure to the disappointment booking. After hav- ing been exploited for weeks, the Kate Smith revue dropped out just before the bugle blew. Mildred Bailey subbed, hut not strong at the box-office. Picture is 'Night Mayor* with Lee Tracy, who has yet to exhibit box office potentiali- ties in this town. Despite the fact of performance, he appears to lack the essential sex enticement for the Iadiesof this- Chesapeake burg^ He showed weakness' the previous week In 'Blessed Event' at the Stanley, where despite the good notices for the picture, the box office meandered aimlessly. Estimates for This Week Century (Loew-UA) (3,000; 36- 40-56-65-75) 'Tiger Shark' ; (F-N) and vaude. Borrah Minevitch head- ing the show, and with the Edward G. Robinson strength locally, the bag should rattle, to nice $17,000 currently. . Last'. week '70,000 Wit- nesses' (Par) was good to $16,100. Hippodrome (Rappaport) (2,600; 25-35-50) 'Night Mayor' (Col) and vaude. Mildred Bailey on stage, not strong as Kate Smith sub, and the box office looks hardly likely to grab more than $8,000, fair, in spite of the anniversary bally/ Last week was also mediocre for 'Most Dan<- gerous Game* (Radio). It appears that the lack of a name is an almost insurmountable obstacle in Balti- more; nearly every, picture tnat MONTREAL HOLDS PACE, $13,500 FOR 'CALAMITY' Montreal, Sept. 19, Upswing looks like it will be main- tained currently, although hot weather has returned. Hla Majesty's is again dark, and baseball-has vir- tually. concluded. : Cabarets are starving. • 'Horse Feathers' hit a new high for the year with $18,000 at the Pal- ace last week, and Arllss, in 'Suc- cessful CalaCity,* while not reach- ing that figure, is sure of a class following that should gross around $13,500 this w>eek. Will Rogers' pic- ture, at the Capitol with 'Congorllla' may see $13,000. this week. Loew's. has better than usual vaude, and' Adolphe Mehjou still flutters" the lo- cal flappers, probably giving 'Bache-' lor's Affairs' an even break around $14,000. . Estimates for This Week His Majesty's (CT) (1,600; : 60-$l)/ Dark. Last week repeat of 'Faithful' Heart' (British) folded at $6,500. . Palace (FP) (2,700; 75),'.'Success- ful Calamity' (WB). Arllss has.a following ldCaliy arid ; maybe, an all. right :$13,500, Last week- "Horse Feathers' (Par) panicked the town on; $18,000, best in months. Capitol (FP) (2,700; 60), 'Down to Earth*. (Fox) and 'Congorllla.' (Fox). Will Rogers, and African wild, life should turn in about nice $13,000. Last week 'Against the World' (WB) and 'Crooner* (WB) did fair at $12,000. Loew's (FP) (3,200; 36.-60), 'Bach- elor's Affairs' ,.(Qol) and vaude. Chance for dke $14,000. - Last week 'Downstairs' (M?G). $13,000. Princess (CT) (1,600; 35-60),'War Correspondent' (Col) and "Stranger, in Town' (WB). Looks good at $8,600. 'Magic Night' (UA) arid 'Self-Made Lady' (UA) last week about $7,000.[ Imperial (Franco-Film) (1,900; 25-40), 'Fils d'Amerique* (French). About $2,000. - Last week 'Petite de Montparnesse' (French) $1,800. ■ Cinema de Paris (Franco-Film) (600; 26-50), 'Monsieur, Madame et Bibi" (French). Near $1,700. Last week 'La Fortune* (French) did fairly at $1,750. Hollywood Production Week of Sept, 19 (Pictures how filming, or about to start, are listed below alphabetically by studios. 8ymbols aro: D-^-Director, A—Author, C—Cameraman, S—Star*) x ' ; ■ Studio Placements Arthur Hohl,. 'Island Lost Souls,' Par; Sally Blane. 'Wild Horse Mesa,' Par. Sidney Toler, Franklin Pangborn, 'Over the Counter,' Metro. Florence Roberts, 'Second-Hand Wives,' Fox. . Alexander Klrkland, 'Call Her Savage,' Fox. Weldon Heyburn,.'Ranasa,' Fox, Mitchell Harris, El Brendel, 'Cross Pull,' Fox. Sada Cowan, adaptation and dia- log, 'Lover of Mine,' Edwin Carewe production for World Wide release. Nola Lu'xford, 'Iron' Master,* Allied. . [■ Alan Dinehart, 'Lawyer Man,' WB. Wallace Ford, borrowed from Metro for 'Employees Entrance,' WB. Ginger Rogers, '42d Street,* WB. Charlotte Young, 'The Devil's Call/ Acme. Walter Byron, 'Slightly Married,' Invincible. Joan Marsh, '6bey the Law,' Col. Barbara Weeks, 'Sundown Rider,' Buck Jones-C6l. Frank Sheridan, 'Obey the Law,' COl. William Pauley, 'Robbers' Roost,' Fox. Spencer Tracy, Marlon Burns, 'Pier No, 13,' Fox. Leonard Sillman, 'Goldie,' Bach- man (RKO). Dorothy Burgess, 'The Frisco Kid,' Talmadge. : Harry Woods, Erville Alderson, Sheldon Lewis, John Prince, Blue fails to touch"hlgh marks evidencing I Washington, 'Haunted Gold,' Schles- the absence of a recognized screen | 'S.lnger-Rogell westernjfor Warners. Sparks Sparking Up E.' J. Sparks, , recuperating in Asheville, N. C, is showing suffi- cient improvement to expect a re- turn to operation of the Publlx- Sparks circuit in Florida In a few weeks. Sparks, ill for some time, had un- dergone two operations. BOBBY MAYO LEAVES EADIO Hollywood, Sept. 19, Bobby Mayo has resigned as as sistant to Fred Schuessler, casting director at Radio. Berth goes to H. C. Wllkerson, formerly information desk man at the Central Casting bureau. East to Write Novel Hollywood, Sept. 19. Quitting Radio as story ideaist this week, Adela Rogers Hyland goes to New York for a year, to work on a novel. Eunice Martin, secretary to David O. SelznicU. roes with her In a similar capacity. headliner. Gross last week approxl mated $8,000. Keith's (Schanberger) (2,450; 26- 30-40) 'Horse Feathers'. (Par). A couple of hozannas are in order in this house. It's on the upside after having been rolling in the mud throughout the summer. Goes into a high pole vault to cross $10,000, high tide here. Theatre is flatly decided *to stick to its new Thurs- day opening, beating the down to the punch by one day. Last week, 'Back Street' (U) finished an ex- cellent fortnight to $4,400 for the last seven days. New (Mechanic) (1,800; 25-40-50) 'Chandu' (Fox). Radio exploitation is. helping, and maybe $6,000 for the week. -American Madness* (Col) was brought back last week after having been previously yanked in the middle of a bank-run in town. That yank hurt matters, and house hardly covered $4,500 for the return date. Stanley (Loew-UA) (3,600; 25-40- 55-65-75) 'Grand Hotel' (M-G). Will do $19,000 if it does a nickel, in this town they've waited for the low prices, not many going for the road-show. 'Blessed Event* (WB) was hardly fair previously at $12,- 700. Edgar Kennedy, 'Penguin Pool Murder,' Radio. Wladek Zbyszko, 'Flesh,' Metro. Hugh Herbert, Arthur Hoyt, Nat Pendleton, 'Goldie Get's. Along.' Bacliman (RKO). .Harry Sweet, 'Loops My Dear,' Radio comedy. Theodore Lodljinsky, 'Man and Wife,' Radio. Shirley Chambers, 'Phantom Fame,' Radio. Balaban's Texan OO John Balaban left Saturday (17) to make an inspection tour of the Chicago and Texas houses. In Texas, the question of policies, stage shows, reopenlngs, etc. is in the air. Balaban will be away about two weeks. Em Jo Bashee Co-Adapts Hollywood, Sept. 19. Em Jo Bashe, added to Para- mount's writing staff, joins,Waldi- mar Young and Philip Wylie in the adaptation of Island of Lost Souls/ Erie Kenton will direct. COLUMBIA 'Plain Clothes Man* (2nd week) D—Irving Cu.mminge ' ■ Bud Coleman A—Keene Thompson ' Jo ' Swirling. C—Teddy Tetzlaff Cast— Jaok Holt ."'■■.- Liillan. Milee .. >" "Walter Connolly ' Arthur Vinton • - Gavin Gordon Jack La' Rue '•'■' 'Otter the U»w* .'•'■■ '. ;(2nd week) '■■ D—D.. Rosa Lederman David Selman . A—-Charles Condon C—Ben. Kline Cast— • B>b Bills ... ; 'George Ernest •• Wm.'Collier,' Jr. Wheeler Oakman ;• ; Robert Bills. "..':; ..,.. •' ' 'Sundown Rider' . . •; : X8nd «e*k) D—Lambert Hllryer ' - Art Black ■ ■ ' • A:—Jack Neville Lambert Hlllyer - C—John Boyle Cast— .Buck .Jones • Shirley-Grey • Nltes Welch ■ • - : Pat O'Malley Bradley Page Frank LaRue ; 'Ward Bond ' . Wheeler. Oakman . . Al Smith . Ford -West ..." Harry Todd 'No More Orchids* (1st week) D^-Walter Ldne A—Grace Perkins Gertrude Purcell ■ S—Carole- Lombard .'■ FOX 'Walking Down Broadway' . (Oth week) D—Erich' von Strohelm A—Dawn.. Powell Cast— ' James Dunn . Minna Gombell - Zo.su Pitts Boots Mallory Terrence Ray 'Call Her Savage' - (2nd week) - J>—John F. Dillon A—Tiffany Thayer S—Clara Bow. Thelma Todd Gilbert Roland . Monroe ' Owsley Wlllard Robertson Estelle Taylor - 'Sherlock Holmes' (4th week) D—Wm. K. Howard A—A. Conan Doyle . Cllve Brook Miriam Jordan. Herbert Mundln Ernest Torronce Howard Leeds , Stanley Fields Eddie Dillon 'Rackety Rax' .(4th week) D—Alfred Werker A—Joel Sayre . Cast—. Victor McLaglen- ^ Greta Nlssen Marjorle Beebe Stanley Fields Arthur Plerson Nell O'Day . Allan Dinehart Allen Jenkins Vincent Barnett 'Jubllo* (4th week) - D—John Blystone A—Ben Ames Williams Wm. Conselman Murray Roth S—Will Rogers Marian Nixon Dick: Ppwell Frederick Burton Louise Beavers Douglas Cosgrave 'Teas of the Storm . Country' > (3rd week) D—Alfred Santell A—Grace Miller White S—Janet Gaynor : Charles Farrell Dudley Dlgges Evalyn Knapp Ed. Pawley • Geo. .Meeker . Claude Gllllngwater Matty Kemp 'Choir Thirteen' (1st week) Dr—Raoul Walsh A—Al Cohn : S—Joan Bennett ■ Ralph Bellamy INTERNATIONAL (Mayfalr) 'Her Mad Night' (3rd week) rj—B. Mason 'Hopper A—John Neville; Cast—. Irene Rich . 'Conway Tearle Kenneth Thompson Mary Carlisle Wm.' Davidson 'The 40'ers' (Burton King) (2nd week) D—J. P. McCarthy A—F. McGrew Willis Cast— Tom Tyler -Botty Mack ■ Al Bridges Mildred Rogers Fern Emmett Gordon Wood METRO 'Rasputin' (10th week) D—Charles Brabln John Barrymore Ethel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore Ralph Morgan Diana Wynward Tad Alexander Reginald Barlow Louise dosser Hale Brandon Hurst C. Henry Gordon 'Mask of Fn Manchn 1 (7th week) P—Charles Vldor —Sax Rohmer • S—Boris -Karloff. Chas. Starrett : Karen Morley ■ . Myr.no, Lqy . ', Lawrence Grant Jean HerBholt; .-.David Torrenc'e .Lewis Stone' .. •Bed Dust*. (Oth w««k> D^—Victor-Fleming, ..... „ 1 A—WUaqn • TolUson • • • S—Clark .Cables . 'Jean 1 ' Harlow . " 'Mary. Astbr ■ • ', Ciene-.Raymond .' "Tully Marshall' • ■■ • Fof-re^t«p' Harvey- ' '. ■ :'Flea.h' ; .(1st week) - ■ D—John Ford . . > . S—Wallace Beery ' MONOGRAM •"• 'Guilty or Not .Guilty " , ■. (1st. week) . D—Al-Ray-' A—ATthu'f Hoerl : '.-.Francis .Highland. . 'Airirbna ' Bound'.... . (1st week)' > IV—HrtTty Kraser A—Wellyh' Tdtman PARAMOUNT 'Rig Broadcast' (12th week) D—Frank 1 Tuttlo A—Wm. Manley George Marion, Jr. C—George Folsey S—Stuart Erwln Blng Crosby Kate Smith ; Leila Hyams Mills Brothers Boswell Sisters Cab Calloway Donald Novls Arthur Tracy Vincent- Lopez .'Sign of the Crow' . (Oth week) D—Cecil B. DcMllle A—Wilson Barrett Waldemar Young Sidney Buchman C —Karl Struss . S—None Fredrlc March -. Ellss'a Landl Claudette Colbert Charles Laughton Tommy Conlon Ian Keith Richard Alexander Joyzelle Ferdinand Gottschalk Arthur Hohl Clarence Burton Vivian Tobln Peggy Watts •Night After Night' (5th week) D^—-Archie Mayo ■ • A—Louis Bromfleld Oliver H. P. Garrett Vincent Lawrence Kathlyh Scola . C—Ernie Haller S—None George Raft - Constance Cummlngs Wynne Gibson . Mae West Alison Sklpworth . Roscoe Karns 'No Man of Her Own' - (1st week) D—Uasslgned S^Clark Gable- Mlrlam Hopkins •The Bookworm Turns' (1st week) D—Lloyd Corrlgan A—Lloyd Corrlgan Harlan Thompson Ray HarrlB' . Cast- Stuart Erwln Alison Sklpworth Adrlenne Ames , Gordon. Westcott Jameson Thomas 'Evenings For Sale* (3rd week) D—Stuart Walker A—R. A. R. Wylle Agnes Brand Leahy S. K. Lauren Cast— Pari Maritza- Charlie Rugglcs Mary Boland RADIO •Kong' (24th week) D—M'erlan C. Cooper Ernest Schoedsack A—Edgar Avallace ■ Merlan C. Cooper James Creelman C—Eddie Linden • Cast— •Fay Wray Bruce Cabot Robert Armstrong Frank Relcher Jim. Flavin 'Secrets of the French Police' . (7th week) D—Edward Sutherland A—H. Ashton Wolfe . Samuel Ornltz Robert Trasker C—Al Glllts Cast— • Frank Morgan Gwlll Andre •John :Warbur}on Gregory Ratoff Rochelle Hudson •Little Orphan Annie' (8th week) D—John Robertson A—Harold Gray. Sam Mlntz Winifred Dunn Wanda Tuchoc-k. Tom McNamara C—Jack McKcnzle. Cast— Mltzl Green May Rbbson tiustcr Phelps. Matt Mooro Kato LnWson ■ 'Men of America' (2nd week) D—Ralph Ince A—Humphrey Pearson . Henry McCarthy. Samuel Ornltz Cnsf— • Bill Boyd Dorothy WHson Chic Sale Henry Armetta Alphonse Ethlpr Eugene Strong .'Phantom Fame' ; (2nd week) ■ - D—Gregory LaCava . . A—Hatry Relchehbach :. ' Bartlett C.ormack Corey Ford; C—Bert-Glennon. Cast:— . Lee' Grncy ' :. Lupe Velez , 'Peingion .Fool Murder' . (2nd week) D—Geo'. 'Archlhbau'd A^—Stuart Palmer ■ • . WJlHs iGoldpeck . Robt. Benchley . C—Henry Gerrard Cast—". ■ ■ '• . Edna May Oliver . Robert' Armstrong Donal4 Cook - James- Gleason . Mae Clarke* ' Clarence' H. Wilson • •Man and M'lfe' (2nd week) '. D—J. Walter . Ruben .A—No . credits. C'-rrflddle Cronjager Cast— . ..:".' Irene. Dunne Charles Blckford Gwlll Andre' . Eric Linden . Christian' Rub Leila Bennett 'Animal kingdom' (1st 'week)' Dh—Bdw. H. Griffith A—Philip' Barry Horace'Jackson Cast- Ann Harding Leslie Howard - • William Gargan : ' - Karen Morley Nell Hamilton Ilka Chase ■ - Henry Stephenson . UNIVERSAL 'S. O. S. Iceberg* (leth week) D-^-Dr, Arnold Fanck A—Lt. Comm. Frank.Wead Dr. Arnold Fanck C—Hans Schneeberger Cast— Gibson Gowlond. I.eni Relnfenstahl. Sepp Rlst Ernst Udet ' 'Nagnna* (1st week) D—Ernst L. Frank A—Dale- Van Every Don Ryan S—Tala Blrell M'elvyn Douglas Onslow Stephens - 'Imhotep' • (1st week) D—Carl Freund A—Richard Schayer Nina Wilcox Putnam' John Balderston . . Cast— Boris Karloff Zlta Johann David Manners Arthur Byron 'Manhattan Towers'. (Remington) (3rd week) D—Frank Strayer C—Ira Morgan A—David Hemstend- . Norman Houston. Cast-^- Mary Brlnh Irene Rich James Hall Hale-Hainlltor. .1 'Noel Francis Billy Dooley _ AVade Botelef Clay Clement Jed Prbuty Nydla Westerman TIFFANY 'Tombstone Canyon' - (World Wide).. . (1st week) D—Alan James A—Ear] Snell S—Ken Maynard VNITED ARTISTS 'Kid from Spain' (8(li week) D—Leo McCarey A—William A. McGuIre S—Eddie Cantor I.yda Robertl Ruth Hall John Mlljan Robert Young . Stanley Fields •I Have Been Faithful' ("th week) D—King Vldor . A^rlf. M. Hnrwood Robert Goi-o Brown- Francis Marion > S—Ronald Colman ■Kay Francis Henry Stephenson . Phyllis Barry Florine McKinney' ' WAKNER-FN •You Snld n Mouthful' ' (3rd week) D—Lloyd Bacon A—W. B. Dover Robert Lord •llolt'pn Mrillory C—Richard Towers S—Joe E. Brown Ginger Rogers Preston Foster Arthur Byron Sliclia Terry Ralph Ince Oscar Apf.ol Walter Walker Edwin Maxwell Harry Grlbbon Mia Marvin . Richard Tucker Wm. Burress Harry Seymour James Eagles Anthony Lord Bert Morehouse Nat ,Pendleton Farina 'Lawyer Mini' (2nd week) D—Wm. Dletcrle A—Wilson Mizner Rian James .Inmos Sr> moui- S- -Wlllliim l'<i»' II Joan Itli.hilell .