Variety (Jan 1940)

Wednesday, January 3, 1940 Thirty fourth VARIETY Anniversary PICTURES 33 Dressing Up the Pix For Crix I Snmiiel Goldwyn's 'Wuthering • HeighU.' David S^lznick's 'Made For premiere tlie flick in Omaha, The i'Dodge Cily.' a colleclion of semi-] hither and yon. around the country ym-prisint; succcts ot 'Boys Town? | fiction and Errol Flynn, which had ' until their creditors and friends ricw 'dizzy trying to keep track of thom. By Bob Moak Hollywood, Jan. 1. I Each Other' and Walter Wanger's | was yet to assert Itself, because L. 1 two slim claims to hoss-opcra su « nrcviews took on a vastly -siagecoach.* Columbia's most im- B. Mayer and the other boys who |periority ouLsidc of its budget—a col rfened import In the eyes of the I pressive afTair was that woven about} twist the lion's tail in Culver City ''i moEuls during the year just 1 Capra's 'Mr. Smith Goes to Wash-: had no idea of its immense b.o.'Boys 1 H Not only did the majors vie I ington,' with 'Golden Boy' as its , Town' was only a minor junket, ilh one another in a drive to flulY „ext best bet „n'lhe pre-release screenings, but Ihev went even farther, installing in he more desirable chairs the critics, who ror years had boon forced to lake what was left in way of seotmg Iflcr tin army ;0£ exccs^-- relatives ^ ,„d friends and talent agents I ^[^l^-i^,^Uo„ ,ist a. How- Mickey Rooncy and Spencer Tl-acy the pic's stars, lent femmc dressing by Maiircen O'Sullivan, making the trip. Newspapermen would climb aboard Ihc train 50 to 100 miles west •Th»y Came WUh The Wind Hollywood, Jan. 1. Metro's press preview of 'Gone : of iheir town, grab an interview, and With the wind' was just that. Few then get oil at home .station to go to bers ever have given such close press. lection of stars led by Flynn and Technicolor. , With sweet timing, a tub-thumping campaign starting \..th petitions from Dodge City citizens and a Kansas delegation asking for Many ol them came to work wilh toothbrush and copy pencil side-by- side in vest pockets, just in case. When 'Rains Came' i20th) was up on the relea.se chart, most ol the lad.« and lassies were so punchy they over for afternoon, with 800 chairs going to 400 newspaper and ether folks at rate of two each, and re- jnaining 100 to hand-picked group of Metro and Selznick biggie.s. Only player in crowd was Rosalind Rus- sell, who came as guest of a scribe. Squawks from critics and general pe^'for' the 1939 stanza was ird Strickling devoted to that drawn staged by Warners, when it loaded the newspaper, radio, and mag lads and ladies abroad a special train and conveyed them to Dodge City, Kan- sas, for the unveiling of the feature named after that town. Wli'le the junket is reputed to have cost the Burbank outfit some $80,000, it is estimated it returned four times that amount In the matter of free printed and ether-shouted space for the of- fering, to say nothing of what it piled up in the matter of good will lor future harnessing. Warners' railroad party followed immediately on the heels of a simi- lar, though briefer stunt, by 20th- Fox, which streamlinercd the crowd to San Francisco, where it hosted them at the fair and wined and dined 'em before unfurling 'Alexander Graham Bell' in the Federal theatre on the expo grounds. When it came to ermine and high haUs, however, laying of red car- pel by 20th-Fox for preview of its 'Young Mr. Lincoln' at Fox-Wilshire in Beverly Hills still stands unsur- passed. Brand imported Marian An- derson, colored canary, then riding .crest of a •publicity wave launched Then .with a 107-Mutual radio , _ # hookup, a fair-sized newspaper bat- up for the villagers' initial glimpse of • ^^^y three .stars, ennuied press David Selznick's epic. Four Star ^^om studios saw Omaha theatre, with its 900 seats, was taken streets ganged with more people than a command appearance of all the Hollywood stars would gather at a premiere in the film city,, with front page art and headlines vf the size saved for Hitler crises. Came the .spring, and Omaha was again .set for a premiere, this time as the eastern Icnninus of the Union the kiekoff in. the Kansas town, it | started-writing Harry Brand to (ind was built lip with u flock of space- |0Ut how many stops they'd make be- galhcring shenanigans. The climax i tween Frisco and Bombay, was the arrangement of two special ] Variety's poll of exhibs and new.«- tirains from easl and we.sl carrying :papermen in affected areas finds Utile more headline cinchers and stars i else except'applause for legit eflort than had ever been assembled out- | to sell the film biz to the people on side of. a presidential train in cam- ..a homey basis. They're divided <m paiyn year, with Dodge City as the , whether b.o. stature was gained, but destination. In that relatively small generally agreed nobody lost any- pr.iirie town on the morning of April i thing by being on the .trips. ' 1, 1939, Hollywood learned the mean- I Jay Wooten, manager of the Fox ing of the word "Colossal.' ' theatres in Dodge City, Kan., says Less than a month later, in a pub-j his town's convinced. If there was licity created mon.ster. ■Union Pa- cycr a chance of another such event cific' was prcsciiled to a jam ot 500,-■ there, he says the merchants would 000 celebrants in Omaha, driven to when Washington's DAR snubbed , Oakley ro.ster for showings of their her, as an extra added attrac-1 more important pictures. Outfits pro- tipn. After scribblers and chatter- jducing for United Artists release fol ers had been taken care of, bal- " ■ — ance of house was sold at $11 per, with southern California's "400' rub- press force against being pushed ; pa^jfic railroad, which was the sub^ around at. press previews have been i j^^^ ^ecil B. DeMille increasing in volume over extended , ^pj^. .p^gre would be a modest half period, until front offices nnal'y i dozen star.s, according to the first were arou.sed to fact that in many promise .But, suddenly two fiims cases excellent pictures were draw- ^ ^^^^ \o!^a m the laps of Harry ing bad notices simply becau.se of 13^.3,,^, ,20ih-Fox) and Bob Taplin- .shabby treatment being Passed out i.Warners). Brand chose to shoot to those whose job it is to review •, in-connection with the open them. Investigations as to cause re- vealed that in most cases lot of biggies were jamming allotted thea- tre .space with kin and pals, with at least 25% of free chairs being filled with agents. Fast to act following this discov- ery were Paramount, 20th-Fox, Metro and RKO, which now include Hays office list of 350 accredited cor- respondents and reviewers on Annie ing of the Golden Gate expo in Frisco, while Taplinger chose to in- vade the backyard of Par's theatre of operations and steal a march. His assignment was a western,' enlarged Hollywood presentation bc- cau.se of the bi.n wham created in newspapers countrywide by the little Dodge City, fuliy 22 times .smaller than Omaha. Then the parade was on—'Young Mr. Lincoln' (20th), Memorial Day, in .Springfield. 111.: 'Man About Town' (Par), with Jack Benny's radio family, in Waukegan, 111., ^ate in June: 'Career' (RKO), with Hollywood delegation and the Gateway to Hollywood radio show, in Des Moines. la., July 1-2; and Under-Pup' (U), in Scranton, Pa., in Augtist. Critics on newspapers were re- ported by office co-workers to be COLOR'S ADVANCE By Jack Jungmeyer Hollywood, Jan. 1. Numerically. Technicolor doubles bing shoulders with the screen's creme de la creme in mad dash for last bit of standing room. Result was satisfaction all around, press being . appreciative of the treat, ticketbuyers'admitting they got their money's worth, and 20th-Fox garner- ing enough at b.o. to pay off entire expense, including warbler's $6,000 for wages and traveling expeii.'ses. Buffeting; the Boys Running Harry Brand a close sec- 1 ♦»««4t«4tt< ♦ ♦ ♦ end was Paramount's Terry de Lapp, who took over the Carthay Circle for debuting of 'Great Victor Her- berC following affair with buffet supper at the Bevhills Victor Hugo. Highballs, a dash of potato salad and a few cuts of cold meals have long since become more or less meaning- less to the press contingent, but low suit. Universal and Warners \ arei gradually breaking down. i Average press preview is held jis output during the 1939-40 season either at Westwood Village, Warners j over the preceding year, the score Hollywood, Grauman's Chinese, | being 19 to nine. Marked advahce- RKO-HilLslreet or the Alexander in . ment in the technical requirements Glendale; Forum and Uptown draw i was largely responsible for the im- heavily from B makers. Customary ] petu.<:. New speed emulsions, econo- deal is granting of block ot 400 seats j mies in lighting, improved processing by exhib in return for the added and the growing familiarity of cam- attraction. Allotted number of tick-I era and laboratory personnel in ets, however, does not suffice except handling the medium encouraged on'cheaper product, with studios ' color production. Artistically, also, usually buying another 400. the tinters were comparably much I better than ever before, and the in- icllnation to swell the Technicolor volume" for the coming year is evi- Warners, one of the first companies to splurge succes.sfully with color, also has 'Dodge City'; as one of its fine entries for the season. As the year came to close, "Virginia City' was being completed as another Technicolor picture of imposing di- mension. Company also had numer- ous color shorts to its credit. Metro's other two color entries for the year, on the grand scale, are double the appropriated money and risks to put it oyer. The town showed a hefty profit and nobody was assessed to pay the freight, many, believing at the same time it is the bigge.st thing the to_wn will ever see of its kind. Tourist traffic through Dodge Cily has picked up tremendously, and Santa Fe,Chief pullnian porters f.iy many people leave 4:30 a.m. calls so they can step to the observation plat- form and gander the one-lime fron- tier hell-gate. Some'Players Helped Two answered the poll from Omaha — Everet Cumpiings, Tri- States district manager, who staged both 'Boys Town' and 'Union Pa- cific' shows, and Keith Wilson, the We Id-Herald's typewriting toughie. Wilson opines Barbara Stanwyck and George Raft were winners, but none of the rest—featured players or glamour girls—were aided. Cum- mings believes Raft, Stanwyck, Brian Donlevy, Robert Preston, and Lynn Overman were helped. Wilson fa- vors the. Hollywood junkets, .be- cause it provides a legit news ap- proach, providing a story,with local meat in it—not only for town, but ^■ territory as well, and he believes the studio is paid whether the critic likes the pic or not Both think the junkets should be confined to out- standing pictures, although Cum- mings said Jean Hersholt's .stint as principal speaker at the Des Moines' "VIEWPOINT FROM z^z::sz^ TUr HIMTFRI Al^n "i P''°"ss effects and camera tricks, .. 1 JtlJCj tlll^ 1 H'lVI-'Am-' I heretofore limited, now give the .^.^^^^^^^^^^ I color medium practically the same ' I leciway as the black-and-white. Cost Lincoln, Jan. 1. I of color production actually has not About 100 years ago a couple of ' been much reduced, but, with the what did give them a kick was to guys named Lewis & Clark pushed ' improved technical facility and the have Ba nf; BalabTn, slan^^ f.'om the banks ot the P'^^'',?"''^"?- fls, Neil Agnew, Russell Holman. Y. ' sippi and tried to prove Napoleon , ma ic^ films, "^e P'^vious ™luctance Frank Freeman, William LeBaron ' was a poorer salesman than Uncle , to take on added budget allo^^^^^^^ and their wives join in the post- : Samuel was a buyer-that the great \ has been pretty well counter-bal- show festivities. Balaban danced ; American desert might have some ■ anced with the frau of the Podunk Corners , value. I Bugle tWhitney colum Zple of%"mg"Vo7he::%"'gooSi"rn\Ve""p;^ the hinterland great deal of costly experimentation timrwas hadCaU a d Par reaped Siberia, which had yielded up a ; necessitating cautious procedure but healthy beneflU background for an occasional quickie ; both the Technicolor officials and the Par also dragged out the arcs and -weste'ri,. but otherwi.se """PPronched 1 .studio felt Jhat_ the _results_ _^^^^^^^^^ posies at the Carthay for 'The Star Sweethearts' and "Northwest Pas- sage,' the latter not yet relea.sed and j ^career' luncheon di<i the'industry also one of the films incorporating jn that area much good, the advanced technical benefit.?. , Both Wilson and Cummings believe David O. Selznick's 'Gone With the Hollywood should cooperate with lo- cal committees, not attempt to run the show, which might result in a great deal of resentment. Springfield, III., according to W. F. Dagon, of the Illinois State Journal, Maker,' 'Ruler of the Seas.' 'Beau Geste,' 'Union Pacific,' others, drop- ping around $1,800 each lime in. buy- ing out the house and decorating it. After seeing to it that scribes are given proper attention, remaining ducats are dispensed free to import- by the glamor capital, has become a I justified the expensive venture, niecca tor Hollywood visitors—in j 'Wizard' was. peculiarly adapted to fact, and in-screen fiction Wind,' long and cautious in the.nqa|c- ing, and first publicly shown a cou- ple of weeks ago, represents pioneer- ing with numerous effects, experi- mentation in fnster film and lighting, as well as over-correction of the low j jrTw from 50 miles around for the colors through filters. During- the. -young Mr. Lincoln' premiere, and it early stages of camera work .several ] did the players good locally. Publici'ty weeks were consumed in testing and , breaks were not large, however, altering these factors in the year's Us compared to others which had most pretentious picture to get the , preceded it. E. J. Macklin, of the desired uniformity and quality. , Waukegan, III., News-Sun, picked From BriUin I Andy Devine and Rochester (Eddie From BriUin came .several out-: Anderson) as having made the big- Metro's Mervyn LeRoy production_^tanding Technicolor examples, nola- . gest gains of the Benny crew in the ~■ - ^ ' '" 'bly Alexander Korda s "Four j-Man About Town' flurry. He saw Feathers' for United Artists, an ex-! no increase of b.o. draft for Benny cellent entry in superlative crafts- I or Dorothy Lamour. Junkel.s, Mack- manship on both the outdoor stuff | \\n believes, tend to help the com- and the interiors. Herbert Wilcox, a I munity more than they help Holly- pioneer with color, brought over '60 ; wood. Waukegan still prefers bridge Years a Queen.' or radio, if the pic hasn't got the Paramount was completing its'Dr.; stuflf^ be concludes, believing Wau- Cyclops,' a bizarre fantasy especially I kegan as a city got 95% of the adapted to the medium, as the year I glory and Hollywood the remainder, closed, and still has to release on its | Net findings seem to be that this Warners, Metro, Paramount, 20th- Fox and RKO have all had a part in the re-discovery of midland America. It's a two-fold heel turn in the oppo- .„,K,u..-. site direction, and just in lime. Sec- ant players on their own and rival | narisls found in it film settings which .Ren. lots, idea being to bring out ll^e were better, than the old. t.me-worn he Moh^^^^^ personalities who will cause news-1 Broadway-Hollywood parade of big tucky, "The Little Princess, Holly paper and photo syndicate bulbers; chances, first-nights, "'•«''s. screen lo do nip-ups, thus collecting all! Ic-'^ts and pre.-^s agents. Also, that color treatment for its resplendent phaiitasies. 20th-Fox set the pace for number ot Technicolor productions put out during the season, setting high stand- ard of excellence and variety of sub- jects dramatized in its 'Drums Along swell! wood Cavalcade.' "The Blue Bird' and 'Swanee River.' Drums Along the Mohawk' bene- current pvogram the Cecil B. De- Mille spec, 'Northwest Mounted Po- lice.' Universal relea.sed the color ver- sion of Gilbert and Sullivan's oper- etta, 'The Mikado," an elegant treat- ment of artistic and stylized interiors and backdrops. I^d mLsT' It i l^ml^'tP'tncerKf ^^i^- ! fllei in its color phases by full appli and mags for Pars.newest celluloid, om^^^^^^^^ , ^rdem' ni,4„ x» 1 .., 1 ho Hollar-: I made during the year. It also dem- Metm w ""'^u"^""^" . i Junkets won for Hollywood the; ohstrated what effect atmospheric 10 giving the biz a shot in the arm. the pure color brilliance and gradu- On fhe ofhec side, the junkets didn't | ations heretofore not achieved. My Darling TaVhTer""'Dark Vic^ lean back as far as they should have ; i„ -Hollywood Cavalcade the tory,''Juarez' 'ElfMbMh a^fd Ess^^^^ in conduct of players and j^nketeers, • ^narp contrast between color and and The Old Maid' RKO ei^ered I although sessions with bottled happi- black-and-white was demons rated ,^ .ine uia Maid, RKO entered | aparty-uproar were pretty through the iieulral insert between Technicolor sequences of the old the chase with 'Gunga Din," "Story of •rene and 'Vernon Castle.' 'Nurse Edith Caveir and The Hunchback ?f Notre Dame.' Universal's entries [n the swank preview derby included rhtee Smart Girls Grow Up,' "You J-an't Cheat An Honest Man,' The Under-Pup,' and 'First Love.' United Artists was there, too, with' Edward email's- 'The Man In The Iron Ma.sk," well closeted. 'Boys Town' T«e-olf The junket itself, with newspa not new, but: complete application of the Boys Town, Neb., Metro decided to , eantry ai approach is far superior to the quiz type stunts; that only outstanding pictures, or films with a definite chance, should be so handled; that closer watch should be held over players coming to and on the way back to Hollywood, and that, wilh I few exceptions, the guy who planks Forty per cenl le.s.s lighting is re- j money down at the ticket window quired on the new speed panchro-1 jtiji wants to see a good show iind matic film than formerly. Back | nn amount of garnishing will change lighting, once very uncertain, is now bim. easily controlled and greatly en- I Marching Through Ga. hanccs (he closer figure shots. Wilh | With Atlanta declaring a holiday these perfected advantages, 'Gone and the whole town, plus surround- With the Wind,', for example, is said 1 ing territory, turning out the.pre- to have saved several hundred thou- ' miere put on there for 'Wind,' by sand dollars in lighting bills alone. -Metro and Selznic.k-International, Major improvements have been ; was one of the greatest attention- made in the laboratory labors to se-: getters ol all time. Newspapers cure and insure the full advantages 1 played up the festivities and the of more brilliancy, more depth and opening at the Grand, on page one, better control of the hitherto uncer-1 and reams of invaluable space was tain factors. Print processing has ! grabbed for the picture. The N. Y. settled down to assured color uni-: Times .sent its Meyer Berger to At- formity. ■ lanta .specially to cover the affair. Film-going public has come to ac-1 In addition to the opening itself, ccpt color in the more pretentious - a. grand ball was put on with .stars offerings as a matter of course, but is j from Hollywood among those pres- dcfinitely con.scious of added delights | ent. Parades were also staged with from the tinters. according to pro-' a flock of bands taking part, cock- ducers and exhibitors. Allogelher.! tail parties were given, etc. The the impetus lor greater extension of | preem was'Dcc. 15. Day the picture color during the coming vear is very opened at the Grand the advance Kl Vegiir'^d. amatic scenes.' definite. ...i,le had already gone over $50,000. Mack Scniielt comedy episodes. Sharing with 'Drum.s' the first 1939