Variety (Sep 1933)

18 VARIETY ADVERTISEMENT TuesdAf, Septeinber 19, 1933 COLUMBIA DELIVERS Columbia's "liady/For A pay" is capturing the best spots, t^rr^d playing: time and extended runs. Theatres ■whlfch iformerly played a picture four days are giving this . Columbia money- maker a, full week^ The picture is playing thiis week in first-run houses in Boston, Syracuse, Los Angeles, Ftisco. Cleveland, Detroit, Washington, Columbus, Day-ton, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Louisville, Terre Haute, Port Wayne, Trehton; Lowell, Rochester, Troy, Schen^tidy, Al- bany, Hartford, Providence, Chl-r cago, Akron, Qwatohna, Redwood Palls, Blanchester, Stamford, Lin- coln and Dothan. Backing jip. this remarkable list of. ehgagements is an exception-, ally strong publicity and. exploita- tion campaigU. In addltlion to the •^Apple Annie" stunt pulled na- tionally and repeated In a score of cities, Columbia is backing first- runs with a nai;Ional advertising campaign and a broadcasting cam- paign in almost fifty key cities, in- cluding Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo. Cincinnati, Hartford^ Loa Angeles, New Orleans, Detroit, San Fran- cisco and St. Louis. These broadcasts are strictly sales talks given, at Intervals—six times a day for four days—start- ing two days preceding the run and continuinir during the first two days of the picture's showing; "iady For a Day" will probably establish a record for added play- ing time, as the eJrtended runs come not so. much as the result of super-salesmanship as. from the box-office merits of the picture. Without exception this Franlc Capra proi^uctlpn - Is proving to be the putstauding feature of the year. COL COMPLETES ALL rrS 1932-33 PROGRAM Columbia pictures Is completing production' on the tour plclures which will complete its 1932-33 program. "My Woman," featur- ing Helen Twelvetrees, Wal- lace Ford arid Victor Jory, Is al- ready in the cutting rooni. Shoot- ing on "Pury of the Jungle," "I^ast of Fifth Avenue" ahd "Man of Steel" are In their advanced stages. "Fury of the Jungle" would have been finished long ago except for the interruption of the strike. Roy Neill is handling the megaphone, and Peggy Shannon, Donald Cook, Alan Dlnehart, ToBhla Mori and Dudley Digges are in the cast. "East of Fifth Avenue" will go into the cutting room any day now. This is a pic tiire which will have Dorothy Tree, the young lady Columbia is going to spring as a surprise on the. movie-going public. In a .^ead Ing role with Wallace Ford, Mary Carlisle, Walter Byron, Walter Connolly and Lucien Littlefleld "Man of Steel/' the Jack Holt pic ture, is in its last week of produc tlon. Fay Wray has the feminine lead. Pressbodk oh Ijady' Haiided tireat Praise Columbia's pressbook •Trfidy For A Day*' has been the recipient of large bunches of orchids.. Commentators have found it as neirly per- fection . In this line as can ever be looked for, they de- clare. The entire "Apple Anrile"^ stunt tiiat grabbed columns of ^pace in the N. T. dallies before, the picture op^ed at the Music Hall was taken bodily from the, pressbook and wot-ked out In^ practical detail by Cplumijia publicity staff. It was a inpp-up. "Phil M. Daly" in Film Daily says this is only addi- tional proof that Columbiia pressbbbks are made !for showriieni: and he strongly urges .all exhibs to use thena to the liuilt. 'UOY FOR II Capra's First for Season Proves to Be Knockout at Radio City—Review- ers Unanimous—Hold It Rates Place Among Ten Best of Year WHAT CRITICS SAY Iri motion pictures and the fore- most American stage director; are turning out .pictures for Columbia. The three directors are" Lewis Milestbrie, Frank Capra and Frank Borzage. The stage director Is Gilbert Miller. The taere mention Contracts Pour In They are singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" at Coltimbia Pic tures, for contracts for their 1933-34 product are ipourlng in at .the fa.stest rate in Columbia hi? "are'co' ~tory7~ And tney^are'cbmpjeteTco.n tracts, too, covering the full line of shorts, as well as features and action pictures. Columbia, if you will remember, is the comipany that set a record by opening its convention with a collection of contracts .for the new season The good example established then Is even being improved' upon A Oay/^ Columbia's smash. hit and the fi.rst Franit Capra production of the season, iiteralfy packed.them in at Radio City Music Hall last week, and is proceeding to do the same thing all over the. United States. Newspaper crittcs left no doubts In the minds of their readers that they lilted "Lady For A Day,'' Bland Johaneson in the Mirror de- daring it likely to be one of the ten best for 1933. Here, are soma of the raves: William Boehnel, World-Tele- gram: "Required motion picture going for the week Includes liady For. a pay' . . a grand etbry told In a grand way." Rose Peiswick, Evening Journal: . . a magnificent picture. Co- lumbia Pictures can point with Three of the greatest directors I Pi'l'i© to this production, and this Columbia Offers Han s Castle On Heels of lady For A Day GoL's 'Apple Annie* Stunt National Hit Columbia's "Apple Annie" stunt In exploitation of the bpening of "Lady For A Day" clicked so well In New.,Y,ork. The Columbia press agents copped unusual space and commanding position in the local papers of scores of cities. STEADY FLOW FOR COL column can only urge you not to miss It." Re£;ina Crewe, Anierlcan: "Won- derfully eCC^ective entertainment one of the few films that ^ill be remembered always. Mor^aunt Hall, Times: ". . » its entertainment value Is not. to be of their names is enough to ac^ quaint the public with, what they I denied." can do. In addition, the best au^ j Richard Watts, Jr., Herald thprs have been drafted to supply Tribune: ". . . so wisely amiable them with stories equal, to their in it^ appeal that it must be set talents. [down sia one of the most engag- With this combina,tIon, and . the | lug cinema orgies of the season best in mechanical equipment, Co lumbia thunders ahead to give the lest in screen entettalnment. "Liady .,Fpr A Day," directed by . , I. enjoyed it enormously." Bland Johaneson, .Daily Mirror "Rush right over to Radio City If you want to see a movie'Which Frank Capra. was the first of the ^ "f« ^^^PP^ , f big pictures to be released for the «»t^»-,ta/nment. . . . It is a delight- 1933-34 season. Taken from the '"J pictnre and a great one; prob- story by Damon Runyon. it re- ^"y- ^^^^^ ^^l^^^^ J^?^^^ ce Jd u'nanlmous acclaim. <iapra | ^^a^ CaSrSaiSf "nIws . , delightfully presented . . thoroughly entertaining from be- ginning to end." Thornton Delehanty, vening Post: ". . . lively, convincing and uncommonly entertaining . . . has an insinuating charm.*' is already at work on his second, a starring production for Robert Montgomery. It is "Night Bus," from the Cosmopolitan story by Samuel Hopkins Adams. Robert Riskin, who did "Lady For A Day," Is adapting it.' ' rank. Borzage has recently completed "Man's Castle," ills first for Columbia. This idyllic love tile stars. Spencer Tracy .aAd Loretta Young. His .second Co lumbia picture is a story by Jp Swerling, tentatively known as 'No Cannons Roar,' based bji a story by Ferenc Molnar, and work h'a^ already begun on it. Lewis Milestone,, winner of Pho- toplay medal for 1931 for "All Quiet on the Western Front" and Exhibitors are booking Colum two awards of the Academy of bla shorts as rapidly as they are COL SPEEDING WffitK Columbia is keeping to its slo- gan of "March Forward," by hay-. Ihg seven productions in work, IS. being rushed into shape and six in the cutting^ room. The pic- tures now in active production Include, "Man's Castle," "My Woman/' "Fury of the ■ Jungle,'* "East of Fifth Avenue," Man of Steel,^' ^'Hold the Press," and "The Lady Is Willing." The 18 productions being readied for the cameras will be started in a few weeks. "The Ninth Guest" is awaiting cast' asslgnme.hts. "World's Fair," with Jack Holt, is in script form. The script of Night Bus," with Robert Mont- gomery, Is nearing comipletloii. Song hits for "Let's Fall In Love" are being written by Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen. The remaining pictures awaiting production cues are "Take the Witness," "The Most Precious Thing in Life," "Biddy," "Once to Every Woman," "Sisters Under the Skin,"'"Fight- ing Code" and "Straightaway." Among the productions now In the cutting room are "Above the Clouds," "The Thrill Hunter" and "Police Car 17." Other important productions be- ing prepared are "No Cannons Roar," "Fog," "Shadows of Sing Sing," "Hello Big Boy," "Whom the Qods Destroy," "Produce the Body," "House of Murder," and "Murder in the Studio." Never has such activity been present in the Columbia organiza • tlon. All efforts are toward mak- ing this its biggest year and keep - ing all pictures to the standard oC "Lady for a Day," its first hit of the 1933-'34 Seaison. Columbia is now prepared give t^® country Its second great picture for the 1933-34 seaSpn, "Man's Castle," directed by Frank Borzage. With "Lady B*or A Day," a Frank Capra production, ready released and a. recognized hit,. Cblumbia is ' forging ahead with its policy of big pictures by big directors.. "Man's Castle" is the first Co- lumbia picture Frank Borzage has done. But. the word Is' already around that it will i>e equal to his "Seventh Heaven," Shooting wfs finished the latter p^art of Augiist, and the film is now being., cut. Bprzage is starting preparations for his second Columbia picture, a story by Jo Swerling. The story for "Man's Castle" is from a play by Lawrence Hiizard. It Is a beautiful and poignant love tale of a poor waif and a toujgh fellow who has the wanderlust. It is the type of story that, is best handled by Borzage. Spencer Tracy and toretta Young are the stars, and the sup- porting cast boasts .a number Ot outstanding performers, among whom are Walter Connolly, Mar- Jorle Ranibeau, Arthur Hphl, Glenda Fiarreil, Dickie Mopre and Helen Jerome Eddy; Oiie of the features of "Man's Castle" is the immepse, and. real- istic depicting settle- ment on the river banks of New York. Many featura writers have already sent their xei^pective papers articles commeBtlhg about it. It was made entirely of re- claimed lumber and.tin. And In the background are seen about sev- enty skyscrapers, L tracks and the rest of the New Y^rk skyline. Exhibitors Grab Cohimbia Sborts As Lineup Initcates Popularity Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for "Ail Quiet" and "Two Arabian Nights," has been selected by Co- lumbia to direct a story hy Lau- rence Stalllngs, tentatively titled ''Red Square." released. The shorts for the new season reach a new high, appeal- ing to an tastes and modes. Ex- hibitors have expressed admlra- tibn at .their Unusual quality. Cblumbia has reached out to Twenty-six tworreel comedies, as bring the talents of the greatest yet untitled, are being made, as producer and stage director of well .as seven,single-reel series. New York to the screen. It has The two-reel comed,ies will in- signed Gilbert Miller, son of the cjudc a Micke^^^ McCjuire series, lirusTrrbus"T3ftWy^MaTi¥^ the latest Leslie Howard picture, talne Fox,, and a Smith and Dale "The Lady Is "Cvilling." Mr. Mil- series. In the other groups irtusl- ler has given the stage some of cal comedy headllners, popular its greatest plays, "The Dove," stage comedians, outstanding "Journey's End/' "The Play's the radio personalities and famous Thing," and many, many others. Hollywood names will be featured. Leslie. Howard in his short screen Music will play an important part career has become one of the In their production, most sought-after male stars. | I9 tho single-reel series, many recognized stars will be seen. There will be the Krazy Kat Kar- toons, from the strip by George Harriman; Scrappy, produced by Charlie Mlntz ahd glorifying the all-Amerlcan boy; "March of the Years," which uses headline mate rial of yesterday for its subject mattet and which has already re ceived raves frbm the Hollywood Reporter; "Minute Mysteries," de tectograms produced from the syndicated feature by H._ A^Rlp Tep;-^A World 'of'Spcrta^^^ an au thentlc series of sport reels pre sented seasonaliy to take advan tage of public Interest; Screen Snapshots, Columbia's fan maga zinc of the air, and Walter Putter's "Travelaughs" with John P. Med bury dialogue, In which the earth Is toured with a renowned hu ihorlst. DRIEF MOMENT' WINS PRAISE AND BUSINESS "Brief Moment," Columella's pic- ture which opens Friday; Sept, 29th, at the Roxy Theatre, New York, Is ,attracting great notices and business everywhere. It Is another evidence of the firm's sin- cerity when it says, "March For- ward with Columbia." "Brief Moment" was adapted from the S. N. Behrman play of the same' name which enjpyed a ^ healthy run on Broadway aiid starred lYanclne LarrlmcAre. In the screen version Carole Lom- bard portrays the role ■ of the night club singer who marries the scion of an artisocratlc family and makes a man out of him. It is a sophisticated tale of two people 'which, soine say,- actually happened. . In addition to, Miss Lombard there are Gene Raympnd, as the dissolute son of. wealth, and Monroe Owsley, ias Slg, his cbck- tall-drinkihg bu^dy. Plenty of Life and Pep In ttatinnm Blonde' Washington, D. C. Columbia's "Platinum BlPnde," directed' by Frank Capra and revived at the Metropolitan, first- run theatre here, .turned in a re- markable gross. Tills Is the pic- ture which brought Jean IHarlow to fame and is being revived by Columbia very successfully. It was a' swell .picture When It wias madie. and , it: i s even b e tter^now tha.t Harlow has risen to-a top- notcii position in the industry. It is doubtful whether Jean ever did a better piece'of work. As a re- sult of its splendid performance at the Metropolitan a number of theatres in the locality Tiave re- booked the picture. "Platinum Blonde" Is one of the few pictures that has improved with years.